Christ Alone our Life, Title page – Publishers advertisement
Chriſt alone our Life.
THE GREAT CASE Of Every Man's LIFE and DEATH Determin'd by the Sentence of God, In 1 John 5.12.
Opened and applied in a SERMON Preach'd in the Seſſions-Houſe at Northampton, Sept. 9th. 1690. to ſome Priſoners the Day before their Execution: And now Publiſhed with Enlargements, for the further Benefit and Service of Souls.
With a Narrative of the Behaviour of the Priſoners.
By EDWARD PIERCE, M.A. Rector of Cottesbrook in Northamptonſhire.
LONDON, Printed for Jonathan Robinſon, and are to be Sold by Thomas Paſham Bookſeller in Northampton, 1691.
To the Honourable
Sir James Langham, Kt and Baronet, my moſt Honoured Patron.
Sir William Langham of Walgrave.
John Thornton of Brockhole, Eſq;
Grace, and Eternal Life.
Moſt Honoured Sirs,
THE Reaſons for the Honour and Service which I owe to every of your Perſons, are more than I ſhall declare, or than you deſire ſhould be declared. I ſhould not have grac'd theſe few Sheets with your Names, but that I hope to make ſome advantage of them, for thoſe that ſhall be in ſuch unhappy Circumstances of the Priſoners, who were the occaſion of my preaching upon this Argument, by propoſing you as Examples to Gentlemen of Quality and Goodneſs, who ſhall bear the Office of High-Sheriffs as you have done.
The first of you, conſidering the Charge committed to you by the Law, of the Bodies of Priſoners, and the Power you had over the Priſon, judged it to be a great Duty to take care of their precious Souls, as if they had been a part of your Houſhold. Having a large room in the Hearts of able good Ministers, you made uſe of it, and eaſily obtained their pains of Preaching Weekly in the Priſon. They were all Licenſed Preachers, and of Eminency in the Country, beſide the Reverend Dr. Ford, then Minister in the Town: But before your Year expired, this Light in the dark place was put out by one, who ſhould rather have ſet up Light in it, if you had not. It could not be for not reading the Liturgy, which all did; nor for want of a Liturgy, for the Goaler had got A.B. Laud's, which was ſent into Scotland, and put that Kingdom into a Flame. This, Sir, you ſo tenderly reſented, that had it not been ſo near the end of your Shrievalty, you would have tried his Power in that Houſe, which was as your own for that year. But then, as about three years before, and after, it was the Policy of Rulers to countenance no more preaching, than would conſist with the Deſign then ſubtily covered, but afterwards revealed: Great care was taken that Zeal in Religion ſhould not disturb the Quiet of the State; and they were made uſe of to put out the Candles, who were of all men most obliged to keep them burning, in Conſcience to God, and Love to Souls. There was then in the Goal a large Room next the great Parlour, which look'd to the Street, and a Pulpit in it, with a Gallery above Stairs at one end of it, as I remember, and other Conveniences for the Priſoners and others, (tho then it was hard for any of the Town to get admittance, except they were Friends, or could make acquaintance in the Houſe) and there was Six Pound per Annum paid to a Preacher, (for preaching once a Month as I remember) given by Sir Francis Nicholas, and your old Acquaintance in Em. Col. And my ſincere Religious Friend Mr. William Holms received it many years for Preaching there. But ſince the dreadful Fire, there is a very fair Houſe built, that ſtands in good Air, open to the Fields on one ſide, which make a pleaſant proſpect; well contrived for all Offices and Ʋſes; but there is no Room proper nor fit for preaching. I preſume the Salary is paid, but it is more than I know, that there is as much as one Sermon in a year preached for it.
After the Fire, the Goal was removed into a ſtrait Houſe; and ſince that, more good may have been done in the Priſon than I can tell of, by private Viſits, eſpecially by the Excellent Dr. Conant, who was much taken up in thoſe private Exerciſes of his Miniſtry; but the Office of Salvation, as Martyr Latimer calleth the preaching of the Word, hath been ſhut up there: And I wiſh that ſome like to your ſelf may open it again, and others keep it open.
The Second of you in few years ſucceeded your Elder Brother; and there being no extraordinary Goal in your Year, there was no extraordinary pains to be taken, eſpecially remembring how that compaſſionate Act of your Brothers was check'd and controul'd; and you muſt needs have undergone a Conteſt with the ſame Power, which was ſo lately exerted againſt the ordinary great means of Salvation, then in the ſame perſon, whom you at a publick Table heard ſpeak contemptibly of Preaching, and therefore could not expect the favour of a Connivance from him. But, Sir, be pleaſed to take a ſhare in this little Preſent, becauſe of the Encouragement you have given me, ſpeaking very kindly of my Performances in this kind, when you have heard firſt from others, and then took a particular Account of them from my ſelf.
The Third of you ſucceeded the Second, the very next year, if I am not much miſtaken; and when you ſaw your time, revived the Exerciſe, and ſet up moſt of the ſame Lights which had been taken down before in the ſame place, to ſhew the involuntary Inhabitants of it a way to prevent and eſcape their greateſt Dangers. And you met with no Interruption. It is happy when poor Priſoners fall under the Care and Cuſtody of ſuch Men, as know that there are immortal ſinful Souls in thoſe Bodies, of which they muſt give an account by their Place. The greateſt of their Miſeries is, That they are ſhut up from the publick Light and means of Salvation, therefore mercy on their Souls is the greateſt mercy that can be ſhewed unto them. And when all Acts of Charity ſhall come in remembrance, even this to the Souls of men, upon which commonly leaſt Coſt is beſtow'd, will be found the greateſt. The Lord God of Grace put it into the Hearts of Gentlemen to be thus merciful to Souls in Bonds, whether in Priſon or out of Priſon. And, Honoured Sirs, whatſoever you have done, or have procured the doing of, in this excellent kind, will turn to your beſt account. The Objects of all other Charities are mortal Bodies, but the Objects of this are immortal Souls; and to help to ranſom them from the power of Devils, is a nobler Work than to ranſom Slaves from Heathens, whoſe greateſt miſery is, that they are in the hands of the Enemies of Chriſt: Yet tho outward Charities muſt by no means be neglected nor intermitted; for there is a Charge to be laid upon rich Men, to be rich in good works, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18. And upon all and every man,, 2 Cor. 8.7. Every man according as he hath purpoſed in his heart, ſo let him give, &c. yea, even he who laboureth with his hands, that which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth, Epheſ. 4.28. But yet Baskets of Spiritual Alms are the moſt precious; and what is done, as directly tending to the everlaſting Salvation of poor Souls, comes next to the love of Jeſus Chriſt to Souls. You have given an Example in this, as in many other kinds; the Priſon hath been emptied and filled ſince your time, and moſt of your Preachers are gone before you: You are honoured with Age, I pray God enable you more and more to honour him, who only hath Immortality, with your Age and Abilities of doing good.
But to return to my purpoſe. The next year after, the third of you, a Gentleman of another County was made Sheriff in this, whoſe Eſtate was little known in the County, and ſo great a Stranger, that he was directed by another where to find out a Preacher. The Preacher humbly deſired him to carry on the Work of preaching in the Good as you had done, aſſuring him, he ſhould find Miniſters, though Strangers to him, that would freely beſtow their pains. He took the motion kindly; but living out of the County, and taking ill to be put into that Office, who had but very lately ſerv'd in another County, he did no more than juſt what was neceſſary in attending upon the Judges. Soon after, beſides the Inconveniency of the Priſon after the Fire, Gentlemen were pickt out for that place of Truſt, who were carved and fitted for the Service of the Court; (and they were active men, till the Eyes of ſome of them being opened, they turned their Backs upon the Court, and their Faces upon Nottingham) and the chief Perſons of Quality were divided, and moſt of them endangered by that famous Preſentment of the 52, (whereof but one was a Papiſt, and he was ſure enough of protection and favour, whatever became of the reſt) and while the Country was broken into Parties, there was no regard to ſuch private and pious Exerciſes as I am ſpeaking of: And all other Exerciſes, beſides reading the Service, and giving the Sacrament, was next to keeping a Conventicle, if not as bad, in the Senſe of ſome of the moſt favoured Clergy, whoſe Affections or Intereſt made them drink down Notions and Objections against the prime Duty of their Office, in which there was little new, and nothing could be ſtrong againſt it. The chiefeſt of their Objections were long ago anſwered either materially or formally, by thoſe Reverend Men, Mr. Atterſoll on Philemon, and Mr. Hilderſam on Pſal. 51. Lect. 152. and on John. Sec. 60. And by Mr. Rob. Bolton, Saints ſure and perpetual Guide p. 205. &c.
If I could turn my Wiſhes into Petitions, I would beg for poor Priſoners theſe following Benefits.
I wiſh, 1. That able and holy Miniſters of Experience, would frequent theſe cloſe places, to try if they could not recover ſome that belong to the Election of Grace out of the Chains of Infidelity and Impenitency. Many a Soul hath been called out of a Priſon to Grace and Glory. And Holy Men have made it a buſineſs to find them out in Goals. Holy Latimer the Martyr hath tranſmitted this of St. Bilney as he called him, and himſelf alſo to our notice; Now after I had been acquainted with him, [Bilney] I went with him to viſit the Priſoners in the Tower of Cambridge, for he was ever viſiting Priſoners and ſick Folk. Latim. 1. Serm. on the Lords Prayer. Holy Bradford, when he was Priſoner in Southwark, was wont to viſit the Thieves on the other ſide the Priſon. Learned Mr. Perkins preach'd once every Lords Day to the Priſoners in the Seſſions-Houſe in Cambridge, whither the Goaler brought them, till he was called to preach in a Church in Town. And ſo that Reverend and Experienced Exemplary Divine Mr. Richard Rogers, was a Viſitor of Priſoners, as may be ſeen in Practiſe of Chriſtianity, Of viſiting the Sick, p. 698. Edit. Fol.
2. I wiſh that all High Sheriffs would be ſo zealouſly affected towards the Salvation of poor Priſoners, as to take care to provide the beſt means and helps to ſave their Souls from Hell; and in particular, that they would provide well for them, and grant them as much time as they can between Sentence and Execution, that they may not be hurried out of the World under Darkneſs, and Confuſion upon their Souls. Then we may preſs hard upon them, Turn or Die, when hopes of Life are taken away. Some Learned Men have written againſt a Late or Death-bed Repentance, with much Severity; and it muſt be acknowledged to be a very great Sin to neglect Salvation; and I have been under a Temptation to neglect them, becauſe I had ſo much to do with hard Heads and hard Hearts, and but a little time to do all in. But as I have the great Examples of Divines more exerciſed and experienced than the former, ſo I have found that God has been pleaſed to make the fear of Death a means of Salvation: And why may we not think it to be much more effectual than an Affliction, out of which a man may eſcape alive? But here is no hopes of Life; and Afflictions have been ſanctified means of Converſion; therefore ſo may the fear and apprehenſions of approaching Death and Judgment be. This requeſt is the ſame in effect that zealous and holy Latimer made to King Edward the 6th. Serm. 4. Here I take occaſion to move your Grace, that ſuch Men as may be put to Death, may have Learned Men to give them Inſtruction and Exhortation. For the Reverence of God, when they be put to Execution, let them have Inſtructors, for many of them are caſt away for lack of Inſtruction, and die miſerably for lack of good preaching. And the fore-cited Mr. Rogers hath theſe Word: And this I can ſay, I have my ſelf viſited many Priſoners after they have received Sentence of Death, in whom I ſaw as good Signs of ſaved perſons, as ever I beheld in ſuch as died in their Beds, not having taſted of Repentance before. And it were to be deſired, that as Joſhua pitied Achan, when he ſhould be ſtoned to Death for his Offence, ſo that he brought him to confeſs his Faults with hope of Pardon; ſo that ſuch woful Priſoners might be provided for, that they might die with comfort. p. before-cited. There is more to be ſaid and done, than Prepare your ſelf, and I will give you the Sacrament.
3. I humbly deſire that High Sheriffs would give encouragement and leave to willing Miniſters to viſit Priſoners at all times, and eſpecially the laſt mentioned time, and command to their Officers to receive them to ſuch an end, and for ſuch a Work: And this I deſire not, becauſe I have found any difficulty or diſreſpect, (but the contrary) but, that none may be thought to intrude into anothers man's Province, or queſtioned for exerciſing out of his own Pariſh. I may not be much ſuſpected for making this motion with reſpect to my ſelf ſo much, for my diſtance and manifold occaſions at home may excuſe me from doing much this way, except when particularly called or deſired. And here I have a convenient place to make my moſt humble and thankful acknowledgments to the Honoured Tho. Catesby, Eſq; for his leave and encouragement given to me and Mr. D. to take pains with the laſt that were Executed: And alſo I give my publick Thanks, with the Offer of my beſt Services, for the like leave given us, by the very worthy John Creed Eſq; our preſent High Sheriff.
4. And I would that ſuch piouſly affected Sheriffs ſhould not think this to be any Augmentation of their Charge; for it is ſufficient reward to have the Teſtimony of a good Conſcience for a ſincere endeavour to ſave them that have deſtroy'd themſelves. But ſeeing Sir Francis Nichols gave that pious Example, it would become perſons of Eſtate and Piety to add ſomething to it, which might be an augmentation to ſome Miniſter in Town, that ſhall beſt deſerve it; by taking moſt profitable pains for it, and that Gift of Sir Fr. would be enquired after.
5 I wiſh, that every apartment in the Priſon, both for Debtors and Criminals, might be provided for with good Books, a fair Quarto Bible, a good full Catechiſm, or Body of Divinity, ſuch as Uſher's Sum and Subſtance of Chriſtian Religion, a good Treatiſe of Converſion or Regeneration, and of Holy Living, of Judgment and Life to come. I will not name any, becauſe I would not direct unasked, but leave the choice to any well-devoted Benefactor. It is a great Inducement to men that have nothing to do, to read, or to hear the reading of good Books, eſpecially on the Lord's Day, when they have them provided for them. Theſe ſhould be booked down, and left in ſafe Cuſtody when any go away.
6. I wiſh all the Maſters of Priſons were ſuch as he was, Acts 16. for their own, and the ſakes of them who are under their Charge. It is a place which would require Prudence, Gravity, Mercifulneſs, and a Hand or Gift of Governing the ill bred and corrupted part of Mankind, with a Temper of Mercy and Rigour. I have heard ſome ſay, they did not look to fare ſo well at home, as they did in this Priſon: O then, that there were nothing wanting for the Life of their Souls! Be kind to the few that are well inclined, and ſober; be ſevere toward the prophane and debauched; let not a Priſon, a place of Correction for ſin, be a School and a Shop for ſin.
7. I wiſh that were done, which might not be impoſſible to ſee done: There are ſome (too well bred for ſuch a place) that can read; let ſome priviledg or reward be given to ſuch, eſpecially to the more ſober and ſerious, for reading to them that cannot; and let ſuch as cannot, and have no employment, be bound to hear reverently ſome time every day, but inexcuſably every Lord's Day. The loſs of Liberty, and impairing of Health is great pay for the madneſs or pleaſure of ſin; but to ſuffer the puniſhment of eternal Fire is too great for men to expoſe them to, without effectual application of all poſſible means to ſave them from eternal Death.
8. And becauſe I would not be miſtaken, as if I were all for publick preaching; I do humbly conceive that there is much good to be done by private and particular Conferences with particular perſons, for one man's caſe may differ from anothers. But then this muſt be well managed and well followed, and requires more time, and therefore more proper for Miniſters that live near, and may viſit frequently; but when Miniſters come from a diſtance, and cannot make frequent Viſits, preaching muſt needs be beſt. And why may not leave be given for preaching in the Seſſions-Houſe, ſeeing there is no room convenient in the Goal, and that there is ſo ſhort and ſo ſafe a paſſage from the Priſon to the Bar? Why ſhould it offend any man now to preach in a Seſſions-Houſe, when it was ſo ordinary at Cambridge, a Shire-Town, and an Ʋniverſity? And why may not preaching be ſo publick, that many people may hear, who are much affected on ſuch occaſions?
Honoured Sirs, If I were to make any of theſe Petitions to any of you, you would grant me theſe, or teach and adviſe me to make better. I have but one humble requeſt to every of you, That you would pardon my making of your Honoured Names publick, without your leaves or knowledge; and that you would accept this little Preſent: And one Requeſt I have to make to God for you in particular, and for all your Honoured Relations and Families, my moſt obliging Friends, That you may all ſo have the Son, and the Beginnings, and Foretaſtes, and Firſt Fruits of Eternal Life here, that you may have it in its fulneſs in Heaven.
Honoured Sirs, Your moſt obliged Servant in Chriſt, Edward Pierce.
Mr. S. D. to the Reader.
BEing deſired by my dear Friend and much Honoured Brother in the Work of the Lord Mr. Pierce, to peruſe the Narrative of the occaſion of his preaching the Sermon annext, and of the Behaviour of the Condemned Perſons, for whoſe ſakes it was preached: I have diligently read it over, and find that he hath given ſo faithful and exact an account in every particular, that I remember not any thing neceſſary to be added by me, but my hearty Thanks to Mr. Pierce for the great pains he took with thoſe poor ignorant Souls in order to their Salvation, and my Humble Requeſts to Almighty God, that he would raiſe up more ſuch publick Spirits to ſerve him in their Generation; and that this Sermon (which was then received by the Priſoners, and a Crowd of other Auditors, with ſo much ſatisfaction) may now its publiſhed, by the Bleſſing and Grace of God accompanying it, become effectual to the begetting and encreaſing of ſaving Faith and Knowledge in all ſuch as read it. So prayeth
Thine in the Lord Jeſus, S. D.
The Author being remote from London, the Reader is entreated to amend or pardon the Errata of the Preſs.
Books Sold by J. Robinſon.
CAtechiſm made Practical. The Chriſtian Inſtructed.
I. In the Principles of the Chriſtian Religion; Poſitively, in the Shorter Catechiſm.
II. In what he is to Refuſe, and what to Hold Faſt in the Greateſt Points of Controverſie; and how to confute Errors, and Defend the Truth.
III. In the practice of ſeveral Duties, Viz. 1. The Practical Improvement of the Holy Trinity. 2. Baptiſm. 3. Prayer. And, 4. Preparation for the Lord's Supper. 12o.
Pleas for Moderation and Compaſſion, &c. And Submiſſion to the preſent Government of K. William and Q. Mary.
The Epitome of the Bible in Engliſh Verſe, uſeful for Children; price 6 d. Bound.
A Preſent for Children. Being a Brief, but faithful Account of many Remarkable and Excellent Things uttered by three young Children, to the wonder of all that heard them. To which is added, A Seaſonable Exhortation to Parents for the Education of their Children. Publiſhed by William Bidbanck, M. A. Price 6 d. Bound.
A new Syſtem of the Apocalyps; or, plain and methodical Illuſtrations of all the Viſions in the Revelation of St. John. Written by a French Miniſter, in the year 1685, and finiſhed but two days before the Dragoons plundred him of all except this Treatiſe.