The Vanity of Man in his Best Estate, Title page – To the reader
THE VANITIE OF MAN, IN His beſt ESTATE; A SERMON PREACHED At St. MARIES in Nottingham, March 18. 1657. At the Funeral of the Honourable FRANCIS PIEREPONT, Eſq third Son to the Right Honourable ROBERT late Earl of KINGSTON.
By WILLIAM REYNOLDS, M.A. Miniſter of the Goſpel at St. Maries in Nottingham.
The voyce ſaid, Cry. And he ſaid, What ſhall I cry? All fleſh is graſs, and all the goodlineſs thereof is as the flower of the field.
The graſs withereth, the flower fadeth: becauſe the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: ſurely the people is graſs. Iſai. 40.6, 7.
LONDON, Printed for J. Rothwel, at the Fountain in Goldſmithsrow in Cheapſide, 1658.
To the Honourable Aliſſimon Pierrepont Widow to the late Honourable Francis Pierrepont Eſq deceaſed.
Madam,
IT was at your deſire that theſe Sermons were preached, and it is through your continued comm…nding importunity that they appear in publick: our backwardneſſe hereunto is very well known unto you; which yet proceeded not from any want of reſpect either to your ſelf, or your deceaſed Huſband (whoſe Memory we do, and ever ſhall honour) but from the ſenſe of our own weakneſſe and unworthineſſe, and an unwillingneſſe to renew your grief, fearing leſt every review of theſe Sermons, might prove as a freſh tenting of that wound, which the loſs of ſo near and dear a relation hath made in your heart. But our reſpects both to your deceaſed Huſband, and to your ſelf, from both whom we have received ſo many ingaging favours, as alſo your own moſt earneſt deſire that theſe Sermons might be printed, have ſilenced all our Objections, and prevailed with us to the publiſhing of them, which we now humbly dedicate unto you, knowing none that have a greater right unto them than your ſelf, by reaſon of your moſt neer relation, and dear affection, unto him at whoſe Funer… they were preached.
Madam, We are very ſenſible both of your and our great loſs. The Lord teach and help both you and us, to find and make up that in God, which we have loſt in the Creature. The preſent duty which this diſpenſation of Providence calls for, is the eying of God in it, a ſubmiſſion unto, and due improvement of it, that you may hear the Rod, and him that appoints it.
And if any thing in theſe plain Sermons may further you, or any other in the like condition, to the performance of this duty (which through Gods bleſſing we hope they may) we ſhall rejoyce and be thankful unto God.
The former acquaints you with Mans Vanity in his beſt Eſtate, which leſſon God hath been many wayes, and for a long time teaching of you; Firſt, by taking away diverſe of your dear Children from you in their tender years, and now your more dear Huſband in his beſt Eſtate, according to the ſenſe of the Pſalmiſt. Sure God would by theſe Providences knock off your Hands and take off your Heart from the Creature. Endeavour to make this uſe of them, to get a more weaned Heart from the world, and all thoſe Creature enjoyments God hath yet left you It is true indeed you have cauſe to ſay with Job, Have pity upon me, have pity upon me O ye my Friends, for the Hand of the Lord hath touched me. Yet withall, you have ſtill cauſe to acknowledge, that in the midſt of Wrath, God hath remembred Mercy: in a peaceable ſetling your worldly affairs, to content and ſatisfaction, and yet more, in his hitherto ſparing and continuing unto you the life of your now onelyonly ſurviving Daughter Mrs. Winnifred Pierrepont, a living Branch of your deceaſed Huſband Our Prayer is, and ſhall be, that God would ſeaſon her young and tender Heart with Grace, and that he would lengthen her life, that ſhe may live to be an inſtrument of his glory, and a comfort unto you and her relations. And our Humble Advice to you, in order hereunto is, That you would take heed leſt you ſet your Heart too much upon her; you cannot love her too well, but you may love her too much: and ſtrong affections towards Creatures, do uſually make way for ſtrong afflictions. See therefore that you place not too much of happineſſe in her, or any other Creature, but make God your portion, and while you uſe Creatures of which God hath vouchſafed you plenty, be ſure you enjoy God: and labour after an Eſtate that is better than Mans beſt Eſtate, whether natural, Civil, or Moral.
The latter Sermon, preſents you with the gain and advantage of Ʋprightneſſe, and Sincerity of Heart, and may ſerve as a Cordial to Gods People under the greateſt preſent preſures of trouble and affliction, which they are exerciſed with, affuring them of a calm Evening after a ſtormy Day, and that though they have ſorrow here, yet they ſhall find joy and reſt at laſt, in their Fathers Houſe and Saviours Boſome. We hope God hath given you this Ʋprightneſſe of Heart, and pray, that he would give you that peace and comfort which he hath promiſed to it. Labour more and more to abound in this Grace: See that Ʋprightneſſe animate all your performances, Profeſſions, and Practices: Let Ʋprightneſſe be your way, and Peace ſhall be your end. Which that it may be, is the humble and earneſt prayer of
Madam Your Honours moſt obliged Servants, John Whitlock. William Reynolds.
ERRATA in Firſt Sermon.
IN p. 10. l. 10. for be read being, in p. 19. l. 15. for or read to.
In Second Sermon.
In p. 3 l. 3. for diligent, read diligently, p. 5. l. 25. add be before vertue, p. 12. l. 26. add ſo before 2 Kings, p. 19. l. 7. add your before … 19. l. 15. for this, read his, p 21. l 2. for neither, read wither, p. 23 l. …. dele 8. p. 25. l. 24. for caring, r. carving, p. 25. l. 30. add called before a true heart, &c. p. 27. l. 32. add their before hearts, p. 28. l. 6. r. purifying, p. 28. l. 28. dele own, p. 28. l 34. add the before doors, p. 31. l. 10. add have before had, p. 35. l. 7. for green, r. greeneſs, p. 35. l. 33. for incipit, r. incipis, p. 37. l. 14. for Diabilo, r. Diabolo, p. 38 l. 14. dele be, p. 38. l. 22. add & quae, after proavos.
In Verſes.
Second Copy, p. 2. v. 11. for brighe, r. bright, ibid. v. 30. read Country, in fourth Copy in the Latine Verſes, v. 13. for religionis, r. relligionis, in the Engliſh Copy, p. 2. v. 21. for Seplchrall, r. Sepulchrall. Ibid. v. 32. r power, in Mr. Pickerings Coppy, v. 13. r. Elegie, Mr. Grants Coppy, p. 2. v. 10. for invite, r. indite S. C. Cop. v. 18. r. things, Mr. Stillingfleet Cop. p. 2. v. 25. r. Brothers.
To the truly Honoured ROBERT PIEREPONT, Eſquire, the only Son and Heir; And to Mrs. Frances Pierepont, Eldeſt Daughter to the Honourable FRANCIS PIEREPONT, lately deceaſed.
WE are bold to preſent you with theſe two SERMONS Preached at the late Funeral of your dear Father, whoſe Memory being (as deſervedly it ought to be) moſt Highly Honoured by you, We doubt not but theſe Sermons devoted thereunto, will be very acceptable unto you. The Lord bleſs the Reading of them to you both, and grant that the great truths held forth in them, may be ſo impreſſed upon your hearts, as that being convinced of the former, namely, Mans Vanity even in his beſt Eſtate as to this world, you may above all things labour after the later, to wit, Goſpel-perfection, and uprightneſs of heart; by thus doing, you will live moſt honourably, dye moſt peaceably, and to all eternity live moſt happily, which is the hearty Prayer of
Your Faithful Servants in the Work of the Lord. John Whitlock. William Reynolds.
To the READER.
THe unuſualneſs of having two Sermons Preached at the Funeral of one Perſon, occaſions us to Preface ſomewhat to give thee an account thereof. That perſon of Honour, at whoſe Funeral theſe Sermons were Preached, having had his reſidence for ſome years, and dying in the Town of Nottingham, where he was much reſpected and honoured; and a great part of the perſons invited to his Funeral, being inhabitants of the ſaid Town, many of which were unable to attend the Herſe to the place where his body was interred, which was at ſome conſiderable diſtance, and the Church there too ſmall to receive ſo great a number; It was judged inexpedient, to diſmiſs ſo great a Company, as were met at his houſe at Nottingham, with a meer civil treatment, without ſome word of instruction ſuitable to ſo ſolemn an occaſion; which occaſioned the Preaching of the former Sermon. As for the later Sermon, which was only at firſt intended, we ſhall need to give no further account than this, that it was Preached at the place where the Corps was interred.
We need no leſs to apologize for our appearing in Print in this age, wherein the Preſs abounds with ſo many ſupernumerary Papers. It was with much unwillingneſs that we were induced to it, but the importunity of ſome friends (nearly related to the Perſon deceaſed) to whom we owe very much reſpect, and our willingneſs to do any thing, that might contribute to the keeping up the memory of him now dead, whom we ſo much honoured whilſt living, hath at laſt prevailed with us, thus to appear in publick. You have the Sermons as they were Preached, without any addition, except, that in the later Sermon, divers inlargements which were prepared to be delivered, but through ſtreights of time, were neceſſarily then omitted, are now added. Such as they are, we recommend them to thy Reading, and to Gods bleſſing upon them: not doubting, but if God ſhall teach thee thoſe two main Leſſons held forth in them, (viz.) Mans-Vanity, and Heart-Integrity, they may much conduce to thy holy Life, and happy Death. Which that they may, is the Prayer of
Thy Souls Servants, John Whitlock Willam Reynolds.