The Comforts of Divine Love, Frontispiece – To the reader
TIMOTHEUS MANLOVE Med: licentiatus Divini animi nuncius, et interpres non ineligans Imortalitatis animae non ita pridem vindex Iam conscius August 3: Anno Dom̄: 1699. Aetat vero: 37 Proematuro fato cessit
THE COMFORTS OF Divine Love. Preach'd upon the Occaſion of the much Lamented DEATH Of the Reverend Mr. Timothy Manlove. With His Character, Done by another Hand.
LONDON: Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide near Mercers-Chapel. And Sarah Button Bookſeller at New-Caſtle upon Tyne, 1700.
A Short Character of Mr. Timothy Manlove.
HE was a Man of a fine Complection, and comely Aſpect: Of pregnant Parts, and a ready Wit, which made his Converſation very pleaſant, and ingaging.
He had a clear Head, and an admirable Capacity, and Skill to digeſt things in their proper, exacteſt Order. His Judgment was correct, and ſolid; his Memory ſtrong, and tenacious; his Invention ſo fruitful and ready, as always to furniſh him with a copiouſneſs of Words to expreſs himſelf by; and his Expreſſions were full and well Choſen.
He was conſiderable in his Learning, which he was improving in daily.
Being deſigned for a Phyſician before he ſtudied Divinity, he had attained to a great Skill in the Niceties of that Art, and practiſed it with Eaſe, as well as Succeſs.
He was every way qualified as a Divine. He had all the Accompliſhments of a Preacher, and the Graces of Pulpit-Oratory: An excellent Mien, a free Elocution, an unaffected Gravity, and a becoming Seriouſneſs; all which ſet off what he delivered with very great Ornament.
His Voice was clear, and regular; ſtrong and lively, and exactly modell'd into a ſweet harmonious Pronunciation: And as he had the Voice of a Divine Charmer, ſo he charmed wiſely. He did not amuſe his Hearers with a Train of Pompous Words, but edify'd them with plain, practical Diſcourſes, moſt ſuitable to the Noble Simplicity of the Goſpel.
He had a great Senſe of Religion upon his Mind, and eſpecially a compoſed, reverent, and heavenly Deportment in Prayer; in which his very Look, as well as Expreſſions, did excite to the moſt ſerious Devotion.
There never ſeemed to be a cloud, either upon his Thoughts, or Affections, in his Publick Exerciſes; He had flame and vigour to bear him out to the Laſt, and he rather choſe to leave off with Affection, than to proceed with Flatneſs.
The Laſt Day he appeared in Publick, he was obſerved in Prayer to have the moſt profound Thoughts, and exalted Expreſſions of the Divine Attributes; and in his Laſt Sermon, with the moſt affectionate ſacred Eloquence, he diſplayed the Happineſs of Heaven. Preaching (from Heb. 2.3.) upon the Doctrine of the Great Salvation that Chriſt came to declare to the World, which within a few Days after, he left his mournful Hearers to apply.
TO THE READER.
THE following Diſcourſe was Preached without the leaſt Thought of offering it to Publick View: And yet I was perſwaded to yield to the Publication of it, to prevent the Printing of more imperfect Notes.
The Excellency of the Subject ſets it above all the ſuppoſed Ornaments of the Finery of Words or Rhetorick: The great thing that I minded in the Preaching it, was only to Repreſent it in plain Intelligible Words. To have attempted any thing more, would have been a wrong to the Matter, which hath ſo great a Luſtre in it ſelf, that it needs to borrow nothing from Art. And if any thing of that had been offered, it would have had no better Succeſs, then the laying the Dawbery of Paint upon a Reſplendent Diamond, which would cloud and darken its Refulgent Brightneſs.
Now Reader, ſince thou haſt it in thy Hand, do not ſeek for that which was never intended Thee, but conſider ſeriouſly the Matter, and work it upon thy Heart, till thou be rooted and grounded in a deep Senſe of Gods Love, that ſo thou ma…ſt be filled with Love to Him. This is a Subject worthy of thy Study, and hath in it ſuch admirable Variety, as will make it always Pleaſant without Wearineſs, and will alſo furniſh. Thee with a Cordial in thy deepeſt Spiritual Diſtreſſes. That this little Diſcourſe may be thus uſeful to Thee, is the Earneſt Prayer of
The unfeigned Deſirer of thy Spiritual Happineſs, R. Gilpin.