Sermons Volume 4, Half title – Title page 2
BP HOPKINS's Fourth, and Laſt, VOLUME OF Diſcourſes and Sermons.
The Fourth (and Laſt) VOLUME OF DISCOURSES OR SERMONS ON Several Scriptures.
By EZEKIEL HOPKINS, Late Lord Biſhop of London-derry.
LONDON: Printed by H. Clark, for J. Robinſon, A. and J. Churchill, J. Taylor, and J. Wyat, 1696.
THE PREFACE, GIVING An Account of theſe Diſcourſes, and of the Excellent Author thereof.
Chriſtian Reader,
AN old Friend and Acquaintance of the very Reverend Author of the following Sermons and Diſcourſes, in honour of his Name and Memory, (though he accepteth no Man's Perſon, neither can give flattering Titles) ſaith, upon the occaſion of their being Printed and Publiſhed, as followeth, viz. That there have been Three Volumes of Sermons and Diſcourſes ſent forth into the Publick before theſe have appeared, and not any one of them unprefaced to; but in none of theſe Prefaces hath he met with any thing to convey down the just Character of this our great Man, and his Manner, and Miniſtry to Poſterity; He will make an Experiment therefore, if any thing may be ſaid (he ſaith not aded) for, hitherto, nothing hath been ſaid) to render the account of this Amiable Perſon and his Ʋſeful Labours amongst us to after Ages, beſides the Teſtimony of his Gifts and Graces in his Books, ſo familiar amongst us; for by theſe, though he be dead, he yet ſpeaketh; his Works praiſe him in the Gates, and his Remembrance ſhall be bleſſed. Many will bear Witneſs, the Name of our Author was not unknown, but celebrated in this our great City, in its Suburbs, in our Lines of Communication, and within our Bills of Mortality, when he for ſeveral Years lived and laboured with great acceptance and ſucceſs in theſe places: Ask in the Town and Pariſh of Hackney, how much Good was done by Mr. Hopkins's Lectures, eſpecially amongſt the richer ſort of Inhabitants, and the younger ſort at the Schools there, and eſpecially thoſe that were deſcended from good Families. If you believe me not, ask from Jeruſalem to Illyricum; from Oxon to London, from London to Exon, if you pleaſe, from one London to another, even unto London-derry in Ireland, where was his Top-preferment, and I have been aſſured his laſt Works were more than the firſt: So that we have found him that faithful and wiſe Servant his Lord had made Ruler over his Houſhold, to give them their Meat in due ſeaſon. Indeed, by his exalted Name, I ever took him to be none of our ſmaller Prophets, nor of the Patres minorum Gentium: In his firſt education, and at his firſt appearance in the Grammar-School, he ſoon ſignalized himſelf, none of his Age and Stature being well able to keep pace with him; at his coming unto the Ʋniverſity, it was by times taken notice of his Stock of Grammar, and all good Learning, eſpecially in the learned Languages, and his Studies and Manners were ſuch that he rendred himſelf in the College both much a Scholar and much a Gentleman, and was choſen out from amongſt others to Inſtruction and Government therein, and particularly the Inſtruction and Government of ſome of ſeveral Young Gentlemen, and ſome deſcended from ſome of our Noble and moſt Honourable Families in our Kingdom and Nation. In the Churches of Chriſt, unto the Service whereof he was never ſlack, when invited, and called, his very Firſt-fruits were promiſing, and his Firſt-fruits being holy, the Lump was alſo holy. The Crouds in Hackney-Church, in St. Mary Woolnoth Lombard-ſtreet, at Exon, at Dublin, at Raphoe, at London-derry, and laſt at St. Mary Aldermanbury in our own City, declare him a Maſter-workman, the Preacher that was wiſe, and that ſought out acceptable words: And his Words were as profitable as they were acceptable. By the Subjects of the Four Volumes of Sermons, you will be able to do more than make a Conjecture, you will take ſome Meaſures of his Parts, and the diſpoſition of his Mind, of his Studies and Miniſterial Endeavours, with the bleſſed Seals which were put thereunto.
I will only further (as to my part here) in his Honour, commend to your peruſal, in ſpecial, this Fourth Volume of his Sermons and Diſcourſes: The Contents will give you the Account of what Materials they conſiſt, and to what Ʋſes and Improvements they were directed and applied. But I further take liberty to ſay, Here are, in theſe Diſcourſes now handled by him, both the Commoda and the Accommoda, things profitable in themſelves, and ſeaſonable to our preſent Times and Debates, Verba ſuper Rotas, ſome of the Author's Golden Apples in Pictures of Silver: They never knew our Author, that knew him not to be as acute and ſolid in his Polemick Diſcourſes, as he was accurate and fervent in his Practical and Ordinary Sermons. And let but the Chriſtian Reader take the firſt Diſcourſe in this Book, on Phil. 2.12, 13. and read but with due Caution and Obſervation, and he will ſoon think there will not need more be ſaid to ſtay and quiet the Minds of Men on the controverted Points of Liberty, or the Power of Nature, and the Intereſts of the Grace of God in our Salvation. He hath alſo happily herein taken up the Queſtion, and proved Repentance and Faith are neither prejudicial to the free Grace of God and the Father, nor in any-wiſe derogatory unto the Merits of Jeſus his Son: As alſo fully proved we are far from being juſtified as ſoon as elected or redeemed. In the Second Part, he hath happily added and proved, that a temperament of the fear of a Just and Sin-revenging God, is conſiſtent with, and neceſſary to be joined unto our highest Attainments in the joyful Senſe of the Love and Favour of God, and the fullest Aſſurances of Heaven and Salvation we have in this Life, and hath herein cut the Sinews of the Antinomian Errour, on the contrary part, and without any Noiſe or Clamour. In the Third Part, you will find and be much pleaſed with, and, I hope, equally benefited by his very Pious and Plain Treatiſe of the Nature and Offices of Conſcience, the rather becauſe the Corruptions and Defilements of it being ſo diſtinctly opened, and what it is, and of what Importance to get and to keep a clear Conſcience, with many neceſſary Directions and Helps in order thereunto, very proper to the Times wherein ſo many have made Shipwrack of Faith, and of a Good Conſcience. The next Diſcourſe is of Inſtancy and Conſtancy in Holy Prayer, not only as a Negotium cum Deo, but Heaven in ordinary and perfect Hearts-eaſe, whil'st we are here upon Earth. And the last is an elaborate, though ſhort Exercitation and Treatiſe of the Divine Omnipreſence, a Meditation prepared to render all the foregoing Parts of the Book more beneficial to us, no Argument being in its own Nature more awakening and awful to an intelligent and diligent Reader. The rest you are beholden to Providence, and the Pen of a ready Writer for; but what is written, was unqueſtionably ſpoken, and with a great foreign, by a very Reverend Prelate, now in that Kingdom, (a great Admirer, Follower, and dear Brother of ours, deceaſed) in the Cloſe of his excellent Sermon, Preached in St. Mary Aldermanbury-Church, upon Coloſſ. 3.1, 2, 3, 4, Verſes, June 24. 1690. in the Cloſe whereof, having Chriſt's and our Reſurrection he proceeds, ſaying,
This was the Doctrin of the Apoſtles, and the Faith of the Primitive Chriſtians: And that this Faith did animate them againſt the Fears of Death, and enable them to meet that King of Terrors with Undaunted Reſolutions; and it is this which ſtill Buoys up the ſinking Spirits of Believers; it was this which comforted this Reverend and Learned Prelate, whoſe Funerals was then ſolemnized. This ſupported him in his late Troubles and Afflictions, in his greateſt Pains and ſharpeſt Agonies. He often diſcourſed with me on this Subject. He fixed his Thoughts upon the Glorious Reſurrection, and ſet his Affections on the things above; and with the Joyful Hope and Expectation of them he was enabled to bear the Torments of his Body with great Patience, and wonderful Magnanimity; and was not in the leaſt terrified with the Thoughts of Death. It was not foreign to him; he ſpoke of it without Concern, and triumphed over all its Terrors, and welcomed it as a Joyful Meſſenger, calling him to his Dormitory till the Reſurrection. And he died full of this Faith, and did, with Job, ſay, Though his Body were deſtroyed with Worms, it ſhould riſe again to a Bleſſed Immortality, and in the ſame Fleſh he ſhould ſee God; and through the Merits and Interceſſion of Chriſt, he doubted not to Partake of the Things above.
But you expect I ſhould ſay more of him; and, indeed, he highly deſerves it, and much, very much, is due to the Memory of ſuch an excellent Prelate; who, for Learning and Piety, for Wiſdom and Courage, for Humility and Meekneſs, for Charity and Hoſpitality, was one of the greateſt Ornaments of the Church and Nation wherein he lived: But unleſs I had his own Eloquence, I ſhould not attempt it. A ſorrowful Heart, a thick Pencil, and a trembling Hand, will but overſhade and darken the Lines of ſo fair a Piece; and therefore I muſt beg of you, who knew him in Oxford, in Hackney, in Exeter, and in this City, where he was ſo much followed, applauded, and admired, to ſet him in his true Light to the World, and give him that great Character which he ſo juſtly deſerved, while I only mention the great Honour and Veneration we had for him in Ireland, in which Kingdom he ſoon made himſelf famous, and, for a Learned and Elegant Sermon, which I heard him Preach at his firſt coming, (and which was afterward Printed) I ſaw him Embraced by the greateſt Prelates, and courted to ſtay in that Country, and was ſoon after made Dean, and then Biſhop of Raphoe, and afterward, moſt deſervedly, tranſlated to Derry. In the firſt of which Biſhopricks (as I am informed) he ſpent about a Thouſand Pounds in Buildings and other Improvements: And, in the laſt, he was at a very great Expence to Beautifie and Adorn his Cathedral, and in furniſhing it with Organs and Maſſy Plate; and, in both, he was a great Precedent of Piety and Holineſs. He was a burning and a ſhining Light. He knew that foreign, and did therefore preach loudly by example. His Actions were Inſtructive Sermons, and his Strict Life and Unblameable Conſation had great Influence on all about him.
At his Table he was piouſly pleaſant and religiouſly ingenious, and doubly feaſted all who did eat with him; for he had a clear Head and ſolid Judgment, a quick Fancy and a flowing Wit, and was every-way accompliſhed for Addreſs and for Diſcourſe, and was ſo Courteous and Affable, ſo Gentile, and ſo Obliging, ſo Inſtructive, and Communicative, that all who converſed with him, loved and admired him; and though he kept a very Noble and Hoſpitable Houſe, yet was it famous for Regularity and Order. And in the midſt of the greateſt Plenty, Gravity and Sobriety were moſt ſtrictly obſerved. It was indeed a Temple and an Oratory, for in it Prayers and Praiſes, Catechiſing and Reading the Scripture, were never omitted. He conſtantly expounded it to his Family, explained ſome part of the Leſſons, and made ſhort, but rare Obſervations upon them, and, beſide the Publick Prayers, he was very often at his Private Devotions, and ſpent much time in Divine Meditations.
Thus did he behave himſelf in his Houſe; thus did he Inſtruct his Family, and bring his Children up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord: And, if you follow him to the Pulpit, you'll find him there conſtantly, once a Sunday, while his Health permitted it, and ſurely all who heard him will ſay, his Sermons were Learned and Eloquent, Pious and Methodical, and, as his Motto was, Aut ſuavitate aut vi, he, either by ſweet Diſcourſes and charming Exhortations, or by ſtrength of Reaſon and powerful Arguments, drew many to Chriſt. He never omitted that Duty, but preached in his Throne when he was not able to aſcend the Pulpit: And, for his Excellency in that Noble Faculty, he was celebrated by all Men. He was followed and admired in all Places where he lived, and was juſtly eſteemed one of the beſt Preachers of our Age. And his Diſcourſes always ſmelt of the Lamp; they were very elaborate and well digeſted. He had a Noble Library, and delighted in it, and was, as Tertullian ſays of Irenaeus, Omnium Doctrinarum curioſiſſimus explorator. He was a good Linguiſt, and excelled in Polemick and Caſuiſtical Divinity. Many flocked to him to have their Doubts reſolved; and he gave Light and Comfort to clouded and afflicted Conſciences; and was admirably accompliſhed with many other Parts of uſeful Learning.
And, if you conſider him as a Biſhop, you will own, that God had bleſſed him with Wiſdom and Sagacity, with Zeal and Courage, with Temper and Moderation, and all other neceſſary Virtues for a Governour and Ruler in the Church, and ſurely none was more careful of his Dioceſs, being conſtantly reſident, and bringing in learned and ingenious Men into all Livings in his Gift and Patronage: And was a moſt tender and indulgent, yet ſtrict and vigilant Ruler of his Clergy. He always treated them as Brethren and Friends, with all kindneſs and reſpect, and would ſpare no pains to protect them in their Rights; and uſed all his intereſt to promote them as they deſerved. In a word, he was every way qualified and adorned for that great Charge; and by conſtant Preaching, a wiſe Government, and an even and ſteady Hand; by a winning Temper, an humble Courage and prudent Moderation, he gained upon Diſſenters, and brought many into the Communion of our Church, having fully convinced them, that her Doctrin was Pure and Primitive, Orthodox and Apoſtolical: And did, upon all occaſions, ſhew himſelf a wiſe, a learned, and a pious Biſhop. He every way filled his Chair, and was an Honour to his See, and may deſervedly be enrolled in the Catalogue of his learned Predeceſſors; for with ſuch has that See been bleſſed ever ſince the Reformation. And undoubtedly his Death will be extreamly lamented in that Country; and ſure I am the Poor will have great reaſon to bewail it; for to them he was exceeding generous and charitable, and gave great Sums, every Year, amongſt them, beſides the Tenth of his Revenues, which he conſtantly laid by for ſuch uſes; and did alſo allow good Yearly Penſions to Students in the Univerſity, to Miniſters Widows and other diſtreſſed Perſons, and did put Children to Trades, and largely contribute to the Building and Repairing of ſome Churches, and deſigned greater things, if God had ſpared him to return. But, alas! he is gone, and our poor unſetled Church has an extraordinary loſs in him: 'Tis a ſharp Stroke, an additional Judgment to loſe him now. But to God's Holy Will we muſt ſubmit, as he willingly and chearfully did when Death approached: He reſigned all with great Chriſtian Courage, and diſcourſed Philoſophically and Divinely of the Vanity and Uncertainty of all Sublunary Things, and ſetled all his Deſires upon the Things above; and, not long before his death, he diſcourſed of the Neceſſity and Sincerity of Repentance and Uniform Obedience in ſuch a manner, and inveighed with ſuch any Holy Zeal, againſt the Sins of theſe Nations, as might make the greateſt Debauchees of our Age quake and tremble to have heard him. And then, with reflecting on himſelf, he did, with great Grief and Sorrow, with Sighs and Tears, bewail the leaſt Failures of his Life, and ſpent his Laſt Days in Self-examination, in Repentance and Prayer, and with great Devotion received the Holy Sacrament, in which he found much Joy and Comfort, and had ſuch Inward Peace and Antepaſts of Bliſs, that he longed to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt, and did very often beg of God to take him: And, on Thurſday laſt, his Prayer was heard, and God, in his Mercy, took him out of the Troubles of this Life, and called him up amongſt the Bleſſed, and changed his Fading Mitre into a Crown of Eternal Glory.
What then remains, but that we imitate his Virtue, honour his Memory, and commit his Body to his Dormitory, there to ſleep till the Reſurrection, when he and all who have been diligent and induſtrious, painful and laborious in the Miniſtry, and have been Precedents of Piety and Holineſs, of Juſtice and Integrity, will meet their Flocks with Joy and Comfort, and for turning them to Righteouſneſs, ſhall ſhine as Stars for ever and ever. Which God grant we may all do, &c.
A TABLE OF THE Diſcourſes & Sermons IN THIS VOLUME.
PRactical Chriſtianity, Recommended, urg'd and Encourag'd, in working out our own Salvation: Or, A Diſcourſe on Philippians 2.12, 13. Wherefore, my Beloved, as ye have always Obeyed, not as in my Preſence only, but now much more in my Abſence; work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good Pleaſure.
The Aſſurance of Heaven and Salvation, a powerful Motive to ſerve God with Fear: In a Diſcourſe on Hebrews 12.28, 29. Wherefore we having received a Kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have Grace whereby we may ſerve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a Conſuming Fire.
A Diſcourſe of the Nature, Corruption, and Renewing of the Conſcience: With Accounts of the Moment of having a Conſcience void of Offence to God and Men, from Acts 24.16. Herein do I exerciſe my ſelf, to have always a Conſcience void of Offence towards God and towards Men.
A Diſcourſe upon Perſeverance in Prayer: With Exhortations thereunto. On 1 Theſſ. 5.17. Pray without ceaſing.
A Diſcourſe upon the Omnipreſence of God: With the Improvements thereof. From Pſal. 139.7, 8, 9, 10. Whither ſhall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither ſhall I flee from thy Preſence? If I aſcend up into Heaven, thou art there; If I make my Bed in Hell, behold thou art there. If I take the Wings of the Morning, and dwell in the uttermoſt parts of the Sea; even there ſhall thy Hand lead me, and thy right Hand ſhall hold me.
BOOKS Printed for Jonathan Robinſon, A. and J. Churchill, John Taylor, and John Wyat.
A Practical Expoſition on the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer, in two Volumes, in Quarto.
The Vanity of the World, with other Sermons, in 8vo.
Sermons or Diſcourſes on ſeveral Scriptures, in Four Volumes, in Octavo.
The Almoſt Chriſtian diſcovered, in ſome Sermons on Acts 26.28. All theſe written by the Right Reverend Father in God Ezekiel Hopkins, late Lord Biſhop of London-derry.
Biſhop Ʋſher's Life and Letters. By Dr. Parr, in Folio.
—'s Body of Divinity, or the Sum and Subſtance of the Chriſtian Religion, Folio.
—'s 22 Sermons on ſeveral Subjects, Fol.
Joſephus's Hiſtory of the Jews, Folio.
Dr. Bates's Harmony of the Divine Attributes, Octavo.
Charron of Wiſdom, in three Books.
All Dr. Anthony Walker's Works, viz.
The Sinfulneſs and Danger of delaying Repentance.
The Vertuous Woman, or the Life of the Counteſs of Warwick.
The Vertuous Wife, or the Life of Mrs. Eliz. Walker.
His Sermons of Water-drinking, Preached at Tunbridge-wells, &c.
The Worthy Communicant, a Treatiſe ſhewing the due Order of Receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The 17th Edition. By Jeremiah Dyke.
The Poor Doubting Chriſtian drawn unto Chriſt. By Thomas Hooker.
Ovid's Metamorphoſis, in Engliſh Verſe. By George Sandys.
Aeſop's Fables in Proſe, with Cuts.
Solitude improved by Divine Meditation. By Nathaniel Ranew, late Rector of Felſted in Eſſex.
Practical Diſcourſes concerning Death and Heaven. By Nathaniel Ranew.
Correction, Inſtruction, or a Treatiſe of Afflictions. By Tho. Caſe.
The Principles of Chriſtian Religion, with a brief Method of the Doctrine thereof. By Biſhop Ʋſher.
The ſinfulneſs of Sin, and the fulneſs of Chriſt. In two Sermons. By W. Bridge.
Practical Chriſtianity, RECOMMENDED, Urg'd & Encourag'd, In working out our own SALVATION: OR, A DISCOURSE ON Philippians ii. 12, 13.
By EZEKIEL HOPKINS, Late Lord Biſhop of London-derry.
LONDON: Printed for Jonathan Robinſon, A. and J. Churchill, John Taylor and John Wyat. 1696.