Christs Ascension Into Heaven Asserted, Title page – Dedication
Chriſt's Aſcenſion INTO HEAVEN ASSERTED, AND Practically Improved, IN Several SERMONS.
By the Reverend Mr. Joſeph Hallet, late Miniſter of the Goſpel in Exon.
Whereunto is added by way of Preface ſome Account of the Pious AUTHOR.
I aſcend to my Father, and to your Father, and to my God, and your God.
John 20.17.
London: Printed for Iohn Salusbury, and Robert Osborne Bookſeller near the Bear in Exon. 1693.
THE Epiſtle Dedicatory.
To that Congregation of Chriſtian People in Exon, that were uſually my Father's Auditors, during the publick Exerciſe of his Miniſtry in this City; and to all his Friends and Acquaintance.
DEAR SIRS,
IT is Cuſtomary with ſome Perſons, to front the Reaſons of the Publication of their Treatiſes with this: viz. That they were induced thereto, by the preſſing Importunity of their Friends. I verily believe I may have as good a Foundation for the imploying of this Argument, to excuſe my expoſing ſome of my Father's Sermons to publick View, as most of thoſe that have at any time addreſſed their Readers with this Plea: With what Ʋrgency many of you have been prompting me to this Ʋndertaking, I leave you to your ſelves to be informed. To gratifie your deſires, and in Compliance with your earnest Solicitations, I here at length preſent you with a few Sermons of his, that were ſome Years ſince Preached amongst you, upon the Subject of our Lord's Aſcenſion into Heaven. I confeſs, I was a long while very backward to the Publication of my Father's Diſcourſes, becauſe I ſaw the World was already cramb'd with ſo many Treatiſes on all kind of Subjects, that I almost doubted, whether amongst ſo great a Croud, there would be any room admitted them for Entertainment. However, I have reſolv'd to ſend theſe into the World, but what acceptance they may meet withal I cannot preſage; only thus much I dare adventure to preſume upon, that they will meet with a Cordial welcome from you. But let me leave this Caution with the Reader, that he expect not to meet in theſe Diſcourſes with a Gaiety of Expreſſion, or a pompous Rhetorick; for the Author never affected a finery of Language in his Pulpit-Diſcourſes, but always ſtudied plaineſs, that he might affect and Profit, not Amuſe his Auditors. I have often heard him ſpeak with ſomewhat of concern against thoſe Pulpit-Declaimers, whoſe Language diſcovered their Deſign rather to be Oſtentation, then Edification. I queſtion not but he was as able to Trim and Adorn a Diſcourſe, as most of thoſe that would fain have the World applaud them as mighty Orators. But he was ſatisfied, however, that might make the People admire, it was not the way to make them wiſer or better. Well, a plain Diſcourſe it is that you are here preſented with; but yet as it is not gaudy, ſo neither does it appear in ſo ſordid a Dreſs as to attract Contempt: Had my Dear Father had the Publication of it himſelf before his Deceaſe, you may be confident it would have had ſomething more of exactneſs, then now can be ſuppoſed to attend it. For its highly improbable, that poſthumous and popular Diſcourſes (eſpecially if their Authors ne'er deſigned them for the Preſs) ſhould be chargeable with no Defects; when as ſome of the least Compoſures of this kind have their Flaws. If you meet with any thing in the following Sermons liable to Objection, remember theſe Diſcourſes could not poſſibly have the Author's Review to render them more Correct before their Publication. And then they ſtruggle under the Diſadvantage of having been Copied from a few blotted Notes that were ſcarcely Legible: yet thus much I dare aver, that altho' the Scribe may have been guilty of ſome few miſtakes, yet not of very great ones.
But as to the Author of theſe enſuing Sermons, My endeared Father, it may perhaps, be expected by ſome, that I ſhould give a Character of him ſuitable to his Worth, and tell the World what were thoſe commendable Qualities in him, that recommended him ſo much to the eſteem of many that knew him: I could, I confeſs, ſay many things of him, as a good Chriſtian, a Scholar, a Paſtor, and a Parent, which would diſcover him to have been a Perſon above the common Rate; but I ſhould incur the cenſure of many, ſhould I attempt any thing of that nature. Therefore all I ſhall do as to that matter, ſhall only be to remember you of ſome things concerning him, which fell within the knowledge of most of you. He was, altho' a Perſon of a craſie Body, yet a very painful and diligent Student, that carefully imployed his time to the best advantage; inſomuch, that he was not but with great difficulty, at any time drawn to recreative Diverſions. Tho' it may be, his enfeebled Body, and his ſhattered Spirits called for their frequent Repetition. He was a very faithful and affectionate Paſtor, that readily condeſcended to the meanest, and would Conſcientiouſly diſcharge the Duties of his Function, notwithſtanding the Frowns of the greatest: He was as forward to reprove the Lives of thoſe of a higher Station, as the Follies of thoſe that moved in a lower Sphere: His Prayers were always fervent and pithy; his Preaching very clear but warm, and he delivered his matter with ſuch a winning Pathos, that he even commended the Attention of his Auditory; he filled not his Diſcourſes with bitter Invectives againſt the Perſons of thoſe that differed from him in ſome Controverted Points, but many times ſpake honourably of them. His deſign was not to raiſe mens Paſſions, but to allay them when exorbitant; not to Exulcerate mens Minds, but to calm and ſweeten them. He Preached to inſtruct the Ignorant, to reclaim the Sinful, to comfort the contrite Soul; but not to fill mens Hearts with Rage, or their Mouths with Clamour. He was a Perſon irrecoverably averſe to any thing of flattery, or a daubing Language; who always made his Tongue the Interpreter of his Heart. There are a ſort of men in the World, with whom there are, as the Poet ſpeakes, foreign. Moſchus.
Charming Tongues, but Hearts full of rancour and bitterneſs, whoſe Words do not keep Peace with their ſecret Intentions. And I am ſure the Author had ſufficient reaſon to be exemped from that number; he was a fond lover of Integrity, and was obſtinately ſet against all Temptations to any thing of Injuſtice; inſomuch, that he has ſometimes drawn upon himſelf the diſpleaſure of his Friends, by his ſtiff adheſion to Truth and Equity. It was always his temper to value Truth and Honeſty before the Applauſes of Men, or the profuſe Commendations of miſtaken Friends. Amicus Plato, Amicus Ariſtoteles, ſed magis Amica veritas; He might have juſtly challenged for his Motto: He was a very Conſcientious and Laborious Miniſter, ſo well pleaſed with the Work his Maſter had called him to do; that his many Bodily Infirmities that very much indiſpoſed him towards the last of his Time, could not detain him from engaging in it. How often has it been fitter for him to have been in his Bed then in his Pulpit? His Weakneſſes were ſo very great, although his bodily Diſorders were ſometimes violent; yet then was he extreamly willing to ſpend the little remains of his Strength to inſtruct and profit you. He often adventured into the Pulpit, when his Diſtempers had exceedingly enfeebled him; ſo that ſometimes he has been ſeized by a fit of the Hipochondriack Paſſion in the midst of his Work, to the ſudden ſurprize of the Congregation, (for that was the Diſeaſe that attended him by frequent returns, from the Confinement in the South gate-Priſon in your City, to the utmost Period of his Days). The laſt time that ever he was in the Pulpit, he laboured under a great deal of Weakneſs, and a viſible diſorder of Body; inſomuch, that his Legs trembled under him, which I obſerving a little before he entred the Church, entreated him to forbear Preaching for that Seaſon, and to permit me for once to ſupply his room; or that he would allow me to apply my ſelf to the Reverend Mr. Collings for his Aſſiſtance, who had often made a very friendly Offer of it, in caſe my Father's great weakneſſes ſhould at any time diſable him for his miniſterial Work. But he put me off with this Reply, that he was loath to omit that Seaſon; becauſe he was afraid he ſhould never have on opertunity of Preaching more; which was a ſad Preſage of what ſoon befel him: yet he could not be diſſwaded from doing his Maſter's Buſineſs, altho' he labour'd under ſuch great bodily Infirmities, but he aſcended the Pulpit, and entertained the Auditory with an excellent Diſcourſe from the Song of Moſes, Deut. 32.1. which Song begins thus; Give ear, oh ye heavens, and I will ſpeak, and hear oh earth, the words of my mouth. He deſigned ſeveral Diſcourſes upon theſe Words, but his Death prevented him. From the conſideration that Moſes delivered that divine Song juſt as he was about to take his final Farewel of this World; he thence obſerved this precious Truth.
Doctrine 1. That gracious Souls, the nearer Heaven they are, the more Heavenly will they be.
On this Truth he had Preached ſeveral Sermons; but then farther remarking that this ſweet Song delivered by Moſes juſt before his departure, had a manifeſt regard to the welfare of the Church of Iſrael, he thence obſerved this other precious Truth.
Doct. 2. That good Men die with the Intereſt of God, and Souls much upon their Hearts. In his last Sermon he moſtly inſiſted upon this Doctrine, and concluded it with this Paſſage: Oecolampadius when he fell ſick at Baſil, ſent not for the Phyſician, but the Paſtors of the Churches, and notwithſtanding his Pain and Weakneſs, with much Life and Vigour, beſought them to continue conſtant and firm in the purity of that Doctrine they had profeſſed and Preached; and for other things he willed them to be leſs careful, aſſuring them, that the alſufficient God would provide for them, and not be wanting, When thus he had ended his Diſcourſe, he concluded all with theſe ſad Words (which he ſpake feelingly, tho with a ſweet Voice) I believe this is the laſt Sermon that ever I ſhall preach to you, or that ever you will hear from me; Or Words to that purpoſe which proved a truth, tho a doleful one: For no ſooner had he left the Congregation, but he inſtantly repaired to his Houſe, betook himſelf to his Bed, and from thence in a few days was carried to his Grave: A vaſt Multitude of People attended his Funeral; after his Interment the Reverend Mr. George Troſs, his worthy Succeſſor preach'd his Funeral Sermon to a very numerous Aſſembly, from thoſe Words, Zech. 1.5. Your Fathers where are they? and the Prophets do they live for ever? From which Text the Auditory were entertain'd with many ſuitable and profitable Truths, which I wiſh may have a laſting Impreſſion upon all that heard them. My Endeared Father, preach'd his laſt Sermon, March 6. 1688. and exchanged this life for a better, March 14 of the ſame Year: Yhus, he delivered, as it were his own Funeral Diſcourſe, then went to his home, and dyed: Thus ſuddenly was he removed not without your ſorrowful Reſentment of ſo great a Loſs; may thoſe excellent Truths that he taught you, ſtill have a room in your memories, and a happy Influence upon your Practices, and that will be the best way to ſecure his Name from Oblivion, and to evidence your own Names to be written in the Lambs Book of Life, Rev. 21.27. But before I can diſmiſs this Account of my Father, I look upon my ſelf obliged to reply to an invidious Objection, that formerly many have made a Noiſe with to leſſen his Eſteem, and procure his Diſcredit. Viz.
Obj. Mr. Hallet ſaid they, was a man of very mean Abilities, that had little of a Scholar in him, for he had never the Benefit of an Academical Tuition, he was never graduated in any Univerſity, never had a regular, methodical Education, and therefore wondred People were ſo fond of one of ſo little Learning.
To which I anſwer, 1. I heartily rejoyce that I could never hear any thing objected againſt his Piety. 2. I do most ſincerely wiſh that the Perſons that made a clamour with this Cavil were Poſſeſſours of a great deal more Learning than my Father was ever Maſter of. 3. I may further add, that I have known very many Perſons that have had an Education in our Academies, that have no great reaſon to boaſt of their acquired Abilities, or to value themſelves upon the account of their Clerkſhip: Degrees and Colledge commons, I am convinc'd do not inſpire Men with Knowledge and Learning; and I have reaſon to believe that Men may be wiſe and knowing, altho they were never nurſed up in thoſe Seminaries, for I have been acquainted with ſome that have been well skill'd in Arts and Sciences, in the learned Tongues and Languages, and yet had never the Advantage of an Accademial Inſtruction: Such have profited more by their Diligence, and their own private reading, than many others by their Colledge Lectures, and their little Debates in the Schooles: I ſay this, not that I would be thought to give a diſparaging Character of an Academial Tuition, but only to prove that Learning and skill in Sciences are not always confined to Perſons thus educated; and I am ſure my Father was a plain inſtance of it. But 4. I ſhall offer a farther Reply to this Objection in the Words of the learned and pious Mr. Baxter, which you may find in the Preface to his Teacher of Houſeholds; Speaking there of the learning that is to be met with in the Ʋniverſities; he thus expreſſes himſelf, If any ſay there is no great or ſolid Learning to be got elſewhere, let them think where great Auguſtine, and moſt of the great Lights of the Church for Four hundred Years attained their Knowledge; and whether the Scaligers, Salmaſius, Grotius, Selden, and ſuch others got not more by ſecret laborious Reading, than by Academical Tutors and Diſputes; and whether ſuch famous Men as John Reinolds, Blondel, &c. even in the Univerſities, got not their great Learning by ſearching the ſame Books which may be read in another place. This I ſuppoſe to be abundantly ſufficient to blunt the Edge of that Cavil, and to vindicate my Father's Eſteem from that Objection.
But now to return to the following Diſcourſes, I have already told you that their Subject Matter is our Lord's Aſcenſion into Heaven; a Subject very proper to be diſcours'd upon to a Chriſtian Auditory, or to be propounded to the peruſal of Chriſtian Readers; ſeeing we find it an Article inſerted in that ancient and common Creed, which uſually, (but yet how truly I cannot ſay) paſſes for an Apoſtolical Compoſure: This Article of our Lord's Aſcention, is a Truth upon which a Chriſtian's Hopes are much bottom'd, and Promiſes a Treaſury of Comfort to all the faithful followers of Jeſus; for that our Redeemer has eſcaped the confines of the Grave, that he has gloriouſly triumphed over Death and Hell by his Reſurrection and Exaltation, and that he is now in Heaven at the right Hand of his Father, interceding for his faithful People, who are got in this Vale of Mortality, is matter of tranſporting Joy to all that are ſanctified. This aſſures them that the great Work of Redemption is compleated, that God is reconciled, and that they themſelves ſhall at last be advanced to Heaven, where their glorified Head now reſides, managing their Cauſe for them, as their most prevalent Advocate; but I ſhall not undertake to diſcourſe on theſe Matters in this Preface; becauſe this will be but to detain you from reading the ſame things better ſaid in the Treatiſe it ſelf, only let me obſerve that the Author in theſe Diſcourſes moſt convincingly proves that the Humane Nature of Christ aſcended above all aſpectable Heavens, or that Christ as entire Man, as to Soul and Body, was tranſlated into the bleſſed Regions obove. And its ſtrange, that any that pretend to credit the inſpired Writings ſhould call this into queſtion. I nothing doubt, but that very Body of Christ that was crucified without the Gates of Jeruſalem, was the very ſame Body that was laid in the Sepulchre; and am fully ſatisfied that this ſame Body was raiſed out of the Grave, and aſcended into Heaven, and is now there at the Right Hand of God: I doubt not but the Body of Christ is now glorious, and is beautified with more excellent Qualities than it was veſted with, whilſt he was here in his ſtate of Humiliation; but yet this hinders not, but that this Body is ſtill the very ſame that bled, and expired upon the Curſed Tree, neither do the Sacred Scriptures tell us any thing of another Body that Christ has now in Heaven quite diſtinct from that which was crucified and laid in the Grave But all this while I do but detain you from reading more weighty and inſtructive matter.
Therefore to conclude, Sirs, Remember it was the Importunity of many of you that drew theſe following Sermons into publick View; let me therefore entreat you to give them a careful and diligent peruſal, and do not throw them by into a corner a moulding (as too many deal by their Books) as if they were ſome of the uſeleſs Lumber of your Houſes. But read them ſeriouſly, and meditate upon the Truths contained in them, with ſome Solemnity of Thought, and then you will fully anſwer the Deſign of the Publiſher; Who is,
SIRS, Your real Friend and Servant in the LORD. JOSEPH HALLET. F. Ex muſaeo, Nov. 26. 92.