A Cry for Laborers in Gods Harvest, Title page – To the reader
A CRY for LABOURERS IN Gods Harveſt: Being a SERMON Preached upon The ſad Occaſion of the late FUNERAL of that Eminent Servant of Chriſt Mr. RALPH VENNING, Who departed this Life, March. 10. 1673/4.
By Robert Bragge, an unfeigned Lover of, and Mourner for, the deceaſed.
LONDON, Printed, and are to be ſold by John Hancock Senior and Junior, at the ſign of the three Bibles in Popes-head Alley in Cornhill. 1674.
To the READERS, and more eſpecially to ſuch as were the HEARERS of this SERMON.
THough I ſhould readily welcome any occaſion, to teſtifie to the world that great reſpect and dear Affection which I had for the Perſon, in whoſe remembrance this Sermon was Preached; yet (I thought) I had reaſon enough to ſay you Nay again and again in your deſires of Printing it: and indeed I cannot well anſwer it to my own Reaſon that I do now ſubſcribe my Placet to the publication of it: For it ſeems (volens nolens) you will have it from me.
It had been excuſe enough, that in the preparing this Diſcourſe for the Pulpit, I had no thought at all of preferring it to the Preſs: And this the intelligent Reader will eaſily believe me in, when he ſees how Home-ſpun and plain, both Matter and Stile of it are. Truly I am afraid, leſt ſome that knew what a popular, and excellent Preacher Mr. Venning was, will think him diſparaged and not honoured by ſuch a Diſcourſe, when they ſhall behold, inſtead of a Velvet Pall, but a piece of Freeze for his covering.
When I heard the ſad tidings of the Death of this my dear Brother and fellow-helper; The Text here treated on was the firſt Scripture that came into my mind, and I judg'd it might be a word in ſeaſon to that Congregation who had enjoyed his worthy labours, and were more immediately concerned in his Death and loſs. To help them in the Improvement of this ſad ſtroke was all that I intended: For how could I think there would be need of a Funeral Oration, of any Elegies or Encomiums to keep up the Name and Memory of ſuch a one, whoſe praiſe is in the Goſpel throughout all the Churches, and whoſe own works left behind, will ever praiſe him in the Gates of this great City?
I do not queſtion at all the acceptance of this work, how mean and ſlender ſo ever it be; becauſe (as the Picture of a dead Friend) it may ſerve to put you in mind of him whom you ſo dearly loved, and have ſo great cauſe to remember.
If the having of theſe Lines before your eyes may affect your hearts; If it may be of uſe to you, to ſtir up the Grace of God in you, and to engage you in this great Duty which the Judgements of Gods Hand as well as of his Mouth do call aloud for, I ſhall not think my labour loſt.
I never Preached a Sermon with a ſadder Heart, nor to a ſadder Auditory: I did not much wonder to ſee ſo many weeping Eyes, when I conſidered for whom you wept. You have loſt one that was an Interpreter, a Preacher one of a thouſand. Oh, how was he wont to lift up his Voice like a Trumpet, what Muſick was he wont to make in your Ears, what Melody in your Hearts? How ſpiritually, and ſweetly did he uſe to Pray? How powerfully and profitably did he uſe to Preach? What an holy Art had he of dividing the Word aright, both to thoſe that were without and thoſe within?
Methinks I ſee you ſtill flocking about him, and hanging like a company of Bees upon his Lips. What Milk and Honey did there uſe to drop thence! He fed you not only with the Milk, but with the Cream of the Word. I doubt not but there are ſome, yea, many of you that have cauſe to bleſs God that ever you ſaw his Face, and heard his Voice, God having ſpoken not only to your Ears, but to your Hearts by him.
He hath now Prayed and Preached his laſt with you, he is at reſt from his Labours, and his works follow him. Pray ye the Lord of the Harveſt, that he would continue the faithful Labourers, that are yet among you, that the Harveſt may not be loſt for want of Labourers, that none of his Churches may be left as Sheep without a Shepherd: And Pray ye that He would ſend forth more Labourers into the Harveſt, that the number of thoſe that Love and Fear him in the Earth may be encreaſed, and ſuch added to the Church as ſhall be ſaved. And let all that love the Lord ſay Amen, and Amen.
So Prays An unworthy Servant, R. BRAGGE.