The Unrighteous Mammon Exchanged for the True Riches, Part
NOw as for the preſent Occaſion, it is (as most here underſtand) for the interring of the Corps of a Gentleman well known amongst you, by name WILLIAM ADAMS Eſq ſometime call'd to the place and dignity of Alderman in this Honourable City; a worthy Member of the Right Worſhipfull Company of Haberdaſhers, and an ancient Inhabitant of this Pariſh in which we now are. Of whom there are many Good things, which I am able upon mine own knowledge and many yeares acquaintance with him to relate in his just commendation. But I ſhall endeavour to contract them all into as cloſe a room as may be, that I may not ſeem tedious to You, yet ſomewhat I muſt needs ſay, for Imitation, and the incouragement of others, that they may not looſe the Benefit of ſo noble and rare an Example: For Examples being ſuch as we are accountable for to God as well as Rules; I conceive it not altogether improper or impertinent to the work of our Miniſtery to unfold them, and lay them open before you with the beſt advantage. I could tell you of his great Integrity and plaine-heartedneſſe and freedome from guile; of his Humility, and Modesty, and Meekneſs, and Lowlineſſe of Minde; neither highly conceited of Himſelf, nor yet affecting the Applauſe of others, of his diligent attendance upon the Ordinances, and his Love to good Men, of his pitifull and compaſſionate Affection upon occaſion of other's Calamities: But that which I ſhall chiefly inſiſt on, as which is most proper and pertinent, is to ſhew you how good a Parallel and Correſpondency he held with the Text, which we have now diſcust, and how well he put in practice this counſel of our Bleſſed Saviour which He gives to Rich Men.
God had blest him with a very fair Estate here in the world, which was not in regard of Him the Mammon of Iniquity; but indeed the fruit of Induſtry, not purchas'd by fraud, or injury, or oppreſſion (as ſometimes it is) but by a diligent and laborious hand, which hath in Scripture the promiſe of Riches made unto it.
He was not ſuddenly rich, as one that made haſte thereunto, (as Solomon complains of ſome) which is oftentimes very ſuſpicious, & ſeldome proſperous; but he came up to his Estate by degrees, and leiſurable proceedings, wherein He might diſcern the hand of God going along with him, and aſſiſtant to him. And when he came to have an Eſtate conſiderable, his Charity and deſire of doing good grew up with it, and as our Saviour here adviſes, he began to think with himſelf of making him Friends therewith, which he did in great Abundance.
His Firſt Care was that which the Apostle Paul ſeems to require, 1 Timoth. 5.4, 8. foreign. To ſhew piety at home, and to take care of his own Relations. He was mindfull and carefull of that. And foraſmuch as being a Batchelour, he was destitute of thoſe more direct and neerer Relations of Wife and Children, his Bounty ſpread it ſelf forth to his Collateral Branches, for whoſe ſake it is to be thought he was the willinger to deny himſelf the Comfort of thoſe other Dependances. And he was exceeding large and ample in his proviſions for them in every reſpect, both in educating them ſuitably to their proper diſpoſitions and inclinations; and afterwards being grovvn up and fitted for further Improvements, in perfecting theſe Beginnings to them. In that he very prudently and bountifully ſtock'd ſome, match'd others, and follovved them with his continual advice, and other aſſiſtance. One of them amongſt the reſt I cannot but take notice of eſpecially, whom he brought up in Learning, *Mr. Walter Adams B. D ſometime Fellow of Emmanuel-Colledge in Camb. and now Miniſter of Hampſted neer London.first at the Grammar-School here in London, and afterwards at the Univerſity of Cambridge; and ſince that being ſetled in the Miniſtery, hath followed him with further incouragements, wherein his Coſt was not Ill bestowed; God bleſſing him with the Comfortable Succeſs of all his Love in that particular.
Having thus comfortably and plentifully provided for his own Relations, and ſhown piety at home, his next care was of the publick and doing good abroad: for which purpoſe after good and ſerious and very private advice taken with ſuch friends as were fit to be conſulted in ſuch a buſineſſe, he pitched upon a deſign of founding a free grammer School at Newport in the County of Salop, the place of his Nativity, where he erected a large fabrick, for the teaching of fourſcore Schollars (gratis) born in the ſaid Town, or living within three miles compaſs thereabout. A large library over the ſaid School: and alſo two fair houſes thereunto adjoyning for the two Schoolemaſters therein to inhabit; together with Gardens and Ground appertaining. He likewiſe ſetled lands of about ten pounds per annum for the teaching of children in the Engliſh ſchoole to fit them for the Latine Grammer-ſchoole.
He built four commodious Almes-houſes fronting the Courtyard of the ſaid ſchoole towards the street, and likewiſe ſettled a yearly: maintainance upon the Miniſter of the ſaid town for the yearly Catechizing of the ſaid ſchollars and other youths.
He ſetled exhibitions for the maintainance of four poor ſchollers of his Foundation at the Vniverſity: and alſo yearly to clothe and put forth to be apprentices four poor youthes to convenient Trades.
He made proviſion for the constant repaires of the ſaid ſchoole, and Almes-Houſes, and for other conveniences belonging thereunto, all which in his life time he ſaw fully effected, and did himſelf amply endow with good lands there adjacent. He obtained a Confirmation of the ſettlement thereof, and of the prudent Statutes for the Government of the ſaid Schoole by Acts of Parliament according to law.
He hath moreover taken order that after his Deceaſe there ſhould be built a fair Market-houſe with a Town-hall over it in the ſaid Town of Newport: for the effecting whereof he hath made ample proviſion.
Furthermore, he hath by his last will and teſtament given unto Chriſts Hoſpital (where he was a governour) an hundred and fifty pounds. To the Poor and Pariſh of St. Lawrence-Jury (where he had lived for many yeares) an hundred and twenty pounds. To ten poor Miniſters widdows five pounds a piece. To tvventy poor men of the Haberdaſhers Company tvventy ſhillings a piece yearly for ever. And to the ſame worthy Company (whereof himſelf had bin an Ancient member) he left friendly memorials of his reſpect. In whom likewiſe he repoſed the TRVST of all his former ſettlements, and made them the viſitors and overſeers thereof with due allowance for defraying the charges concerning the ſame.
When the aforeſaid Schooles were finiſhed, and indowed, and two able and eminent Schoolemaſters ſetled therein, and the Schollers grown numerous, which was in a very ſhort time; An account coming to his hands of thoſe great hopes which the viſitors and School-maſters conceiv'd of much happineſſe that the Foundation promiſed both to preſent and future Ages, He with Tears uttered theſe words, or to the like effect.
That he had great cauſe to bleſſe God vvho had intruſted him vvith ſuch an eſtate, but much greater cauſe to bleſs him for giveing him an heart to diſpoſe it in a vvay that might conduce to Gods glory, and the good of his country.
After all this his coſt labour and travail, which was great and of long continuance, he hath by his laſt vvill and teſtament with ſo much wiſdome, love, and impartiallity, bequeathed a very fair estate among all his relations and other friends, as that it is believed theres not one of them, but reſts abundantly and thankfully ſatisfied. Ther's many a man that in dividing his estate divides alſo his friends, whom he divides that estate unto, and does not make friends but Enemies of the Mammon of unrighteouſneſſe. But it was his happineſs to doe the quite contrary, he did not hereby divide his friends but rather unite them: and not only make them friends to himſelf, but alſo one to another.
God blest him with a long life, which in it ſelf is a great bleſſing, and accordingly both to be accounted and improved, he was an old man, and full of daies, about fourſcore yeares of Age & (which made it ſo much the longer) free from thoſe Infirmities which old Age is ſubject unto and oftentimes incumbred withall; God makeing good that promiſe to him, which is conditionally made to a good and righteous perſon. Job. 5.26. Thou ſhalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a ſhock of corne cometh in it's ſeaſon.
Let thoſe whom God hath bleſt with ſuch opportunities as he had be careful all they can to improve them as he did, that ſo making to themſelves friends of this Mammon of unrighteouſneſſe they may at laſt be received into thoſe everlaſting Habitations, which God hath prepared for all that love his appearing.
ERRATA.
Page 25. lin. 2. read not to know whither. pag. 28. dele lin. penult. in ſome Copies.
End of the text · Thomas Horton, The Unrighteous Mammon Exchanged for the True Riches (1661)