Divine Comforts, Description of author – Errata
Some ſhort REMARKS upon the Author.
MR. Thomas Sharp was Born in Little Horton, near Bradford, in Yorkſhire, of Religious Parents, who ſeeing his Promptneſs and Induſtry for attaining Humane Learning, and hopefulneſs for Religion, dedicated him to God in the Work of the Miniſtry, though he was their eldeſt Son, and likely to enjoy a conſiderable Eſtate: Having made good Proficiency in Country Schools, he was ſent up to Cambridge about the Year 1649. or 1650. admitted in Clare-Hall under the tuition of the famous Mr. David Clarkſon, his Mother's Brother, who when he left the Univerſity, committed him to the care of Mr. John Tillotſon that great Man, afterwards Arch-biſhop of Canterbury; where he was very Studious and became an excellent Scholar, having a capacious Soul, of admirable Natural Parts, which being cultivated by External Advantages, and his own more than ordinary Induſtry, he became an univerſal Scholar, comprehending the whole Encyclopaedia of all profitable Literature, a ſolid Logician, a good Linguiſt, a fluent Rhetorician, a profound Philoſopher, and very skilful in the Mathematicks.
Being thus well accompliſhed for Learning and Parts, after he had taken his Degrees in the Univerſity, the firſt Eſſay he made upon the Publick Stage was about Peterborough, where ſtaying but a little ſeaſon, he came into his Native Country about the Year 1660. and his Uncle Mr. William Clarkſon, who was Parſon of Add-hill dying, he was preſented to that Parſonage by Eſq; Arthington of Arthington the Patron, he accepted of it, but enjoyed it but a little ſpace, for Dr. Hich, Parſon of Guiſeley, challenged it as his by right, upon King Charles the Seconds Return, having been excluded by the Act againſt Pluralities made by the Parliament; Mr. Sharp was capable of it, having been Ordain'd by a Biſhop, yet he ſaw there was no contending with ſo great a Man, eſpecially in that juncture, he was willing to reſign, although Mr. Arthington would have tryed his Title to preſent by Law, but he declined it, (for at that time he ſaw a Cloud approaching with covered us all) and ſo retired to his Father's Houſe, where he was of ſingular uſe, living privately, and following his Studies very cloſe, attending upon Publick Ordinances in the Pariſh Church at Bradford, where that worthy Perſon Mr. Abraham Brooksbank was Vicar till he removed to Reading. But when the Licences (granted by King Charles 2. in 72.) came forth, he took the opportunity to exerciſe his Miniſtry in his own Houſe, being crowded with great numbers that flock'd to hear him. About that time he married Mrs. Bagnall's Daughter, by whom he had one Daughter, but both dyed. After a ſeaſon he married Mr. Sales Daughter, (an excellent N. C. Miniſter) by whom he had ſeveral Children, but none are now living, but one Son and one Daughter.
He had a call to Preach at Morley, where he was very induſtrious and highly eſteemed. But the Inhabitants of that populous Town of Leeds (having built a large Chappel) upon Mr. Richard Streattons remove to London, gave him a call which he embraced, living at his own Houſe at Horton, riding moſtly on Lords day Morning to Leeds, and back again at Evening (in Summer time at leaſt) which was above a dozen Miles, and Preaching twice, which at length he found too hard for him, therefore he bought a Houſe in Leeds, repaired it, built to it, and kept Houſe there and at Horton alſo, where his neceſſary affairs requir'd his frequent attendance.
He was in Labours more abundant and ſpared not his own Body or Eſtate, that he might do good to Souls, and edifie the Church of God: He was very ſelf-denying, and ſtood not upon Worldly Incomes, whether they were more or leſs he was very well content, ſo that he gave ſtrict charge to thoſe who collected that ſmall Pittance he accepted of in conſideration of his Labours, not to urge any, but only receive the voluntary Contributions of thoſe who were as well able as willing: He was exceeding Temperate; mortified to all Earthly Enjoyments; of great Aequanimity, Sociable to all, yet prized above all others, ſuch as feared God, theſe were his choſen Companions: He invited Miniſters and Chriſtian Friends frequently to days of Faſting and Prayer in his own Houſe, and went upon a call abroad upon thoſe Occaſions: He was indeed very excellent in Prayer, and had a peculiar way of pleading with God, by ſerious ſenſible Expoſtulations with great Ardency and Affection, which made it appear to Intelligent Chriſtians, that he was much with God in Prayer, and very familiar with him, few had thoſe rare Gifts, or exerciſed Grace at that rate; and no doubt God dealt familiarly with his Soul; he lived near God, and now is with his God: His Prayers were uſually long but not tedious, being flowered with variety of ſweet Expreſſions, and Pathetical Expoſtulations; and I doubt not but the Lord graciouſly accepted his Perſon, and vouchſafed many gracious Anſwers to his ardent Prayers, as might appear in ſeveral Inſtances, which I forbear to mention.
He was a fluent Preacher, a Maſter of Words, not ſo much abounding in Rhetorical Flouriſhes, as in Pithy and Profitable Sentences, very taking with his Auditors, that fit under his Miniſtry with great delight: His Sermons were Elaborate and Accurate, all he did was exceeding Polite and Scholar-like; his Method was peculiar to himſelf, and ſometimes Cryptical, but always ſuitable to the matter, and proper to the end deſign'd, not to pleaſe the Fancy, but to inform the Judgment, convince the Conſcience, work upon the Will and Affections, and change the Heart and Life. He hath often ſaid he ſhould never have been ſo cautious, and ſo careful of his Words, had not his Father been ſo critical and found ſo many faults with him, which he ſtudied to rectifie, this did him good, though he found it hard to ſtoop to, but as he was ſenſible of his Paternal Authority, and his own Filial Duty; ſo he was convinc'd of his Fathers judicious Exceptions and the tendency thereof to his own Benefit.
He was very Sound and Orthodox, and trod much in the old Path, though he was well acquainted with the Controverſies of the Times, and very able to oppugne Error, and defend the Truth; yet he was of a peaceable Spirit, making the beſt Conſtructions of doubtful Phraſes, and inclined rather to compoſe Differences, Civil and Sacred, than to eſpouſe a Party; he was of a Catholick Spirit, and ſpake well of what was good in Perſons that differed from him; he was very unwilling to engage in any Controverſie, only ſome knowing his Acuteneſs and Genius deſired his help in three Caſes, firſt againſt the Papiſts upon occaſion of a young Man turning that way, and ſending a Letter to his Relations, which he anſwered very Learnedly and to great Satisfaction. 2dly. Two Papers he writ in Reply to two Conformiſts, who grievouſly and rigidly cenſured their peaceable Brethren, the one in Print, the other in Writing; both which he Anſwered and Confuted; both well deſerved Publiſhing, but the Times would not then bear it, and now they may ſeem out of ſeaſon, but are ſtill preſerved as choice Manuſcripts in the Hands of Friends: As is alſo (3dly.) an Anſwer to ſome Queries, ſuppoſed to be Dr. Owens, Whether Perſons who have engaged unto Reformation, and another way of Divine Worſhip, according to the Word of God, &c. may lawfully go unto and attend on the uſe of the Common Prayer in Divine Worſhip, &c.?
He had a lofty Poetical Strain, wherein he ſometimes (for a diverſion) employed himſelf upon ſpecial Occaſions, as upon the Death of that Worthy Grave Divine Mr. Elkanah Wales, and upon the Burning of London in 1666. which being ſhow'd to Dr. Robert Wild, he ſeem'd ſurpriz'd, and ingenuouſly acknowledg'd, that Man ſhould be his Maſter, he would yeild the Laurel to the North Country Poet. An imperfect Copy of his Verſes for and againſt Sleep (made in his younger Years, when at the Univerſity) were Printed under the Name of the Famous Cleveland; ſeveral other of his Poems, deſervedly valuable, remain in the Cuſtody of ſome Friends.
He had a copious Library, and abundance of the chocieſt Books, of which he made good uſe, having a notable facility in turning over Authors, and picking the Quinteſſence out of them.
He would never be perſwaded to put any thing to the Preſs, though often ſolicited to Print ſomething, but reply'd there were Books enough Printed: But a Gentlewoman in the Neighbourhood being in great trouble of Conſcience, often came to viſit him; whilſt he diſcours'd with her, ſhe ſeem'd to be much ſatisfied, and her Spirit appeaſed, but when ſhe was gone from him ſhe was as much caſt down and diſconſolate as ever; whereupon ſhe earneſtly deſired him to write down ſome Pertinent Meditations, that ſhe might have recourſe to, when ſhe was abſent from him; which he did, and gives ſome account of in his Epiſtle to the Reader, perfixed before this enſuing Treatiſe, yet could not be perſwaded to let it ſee the Light while he lived, yet ſhewed ſome willingneſs it ſhould be Printed after his deceaſe, having before writ it out by his own Hand in readineſs for the Preſs, and deſign'd for Publick Good; which upon the Importunity and Encouragement of ſeveral Friends is now accompliſh'd by his ſurviving Widow, that all the Voluminous Labours of ſuch a wiſe Maſter-builder might not be loſt, ſince moſt of his Writings for his own uſe were in Short-hand, and not fully Legible or Intelligible by any, there being many unknown Characters of his own inventing interſperſed.
But to come to the laſt Scene of this worthy Man's Life: He had endured the acute pains of the Pleuriſie four ſeveral times, yet through the Bleſſing of God as often recovered out of it, though upon frequent occaſions complaining of a pain in his ſide, yet by Temperance and the uſe of Means, he was wonderfully ſhored up in the midſt of his Travels, Studies, and Preachings.
Auguſt the 4th. 1693. he rid from his own Houſe at Horton to Leeds, being as well as ordinarily, in competent Health, Preached that day, being Friday, the Preparation Sermon for the Lord's Supper: Lord'sday Auguſt the 6th. he Preached twice. Adminiſtred the Lord's Supper, was wonderfully enlarged both in Expreſſions and warm Affections, ſo that ſome were ready to think he was in Heaven already, and admired the Grace of God in him.
Wedneſday, Auguſt 9th. was the Monthly Publick Faſt, he was long at Work, ſpent himſelf exceedingly: On Thurſday Night he begun of his old Diſtemper the Pleuriſie, which now made the fifth vigorous Aſſault; he was by the Phyſicians advice Blooded twice, but his Diſtemper prevailed, and turned rather to a Fever, yet ſtill the violent Pain in his ſide continued, but he was very ſenſible and patient under it: Auguſt 24th. he deſired the aſſiſtance of a Friend in drawing his Will, which he Subſcribed the 26th. after that he made a moſt Pathetical affecting Exhortation to ſeveral Chriſtian Friends then preſent, who obſerved that the Graces of Faith and Humility, which had been eminent throughout the whole courſe of his Life did grow and encreaſe to the very laſt; he was nothing in his own Eyes, had the moſt ſelfdebaſing Expreſſions imaginable; Poor Creature, ſinful Worm, vile Wretch, that had intruded into the high calling of the Miniſtry, and had no Gifts, no Graces, no Abilities, to diſcharge ſuch a Truſt. He even loathed himſelf for it, and if the Great God ſhould ſpurn him out of his Preſence he could not but juſtifie him: Oh! wo is me that I have ſinned, I even tremble to appear before the dreadful Tribunal of God, who will come with flaming Fire to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Remember what I preach'd to you from that Text; I have endeavour'd to diſcharge a good Conſcience, though with a multitude of Imperfections, and have not ſhunned to declare unto you the whole Counſel of God, and I bleſs God for the ſweet Communion I have had with you in his Ordinances, and humbly beſeech him to ſupply the breach that is ſhortly to be made, and to ſend you a Man of Judgment, fitted with his Spirit, that may better diſcharge his Duty than I have done, who deſerve to be made a Spectacle of Miſery to Angels and Men; But bleſſed be God for hopes of Salvation through the Bleſſed Mediator Jeſus Chriſt. Oh the infinite Riches of free Grace! And here he fell into an holy extaſie of Joy, but the Expreſſions cannot be retriev'd, thoſe who were preſent being too deeply Affected to take the Particulars in Writing or Memory. Several Inſtructions likewiſe he gave to his Relations. The Night after he grew very weak and his Vital Spirits decay'd more and more, till the next Morning about Seven of the Clock, having taken a ſolemn leave of his dear Wife and Children, and with great Faith and Chearfulneſs recommended his Soul into the Hands of his dear Redeemer, he encountred the Pangs of Death Auguſt the 27th. 1693. being Lord's-day, and entred upon his Everlaſting Reſt, being aged Sixty Years.
On Tueſday Auguſt the 29th. he was Buried, many ſad and ſorrowful Hearts, both of Miniſters and Chriſtian Friends attending the Funeral. His Corpſe was ſolemnly Interred in the Chancel of the New Church in Leeds, nigh the Remains of good Mr. Wales, as himſelf had deſired.
September the 6th. 1693. upon the Peoples requeſt, two of his Brethren Preached Funeral Sermons at his Meeting-place on Mill-Hill, to a mighty concourſe of People, the one treating upon Acts 20.38. Sorrowing moſt of all for the Words which he ſpake that they ſhould ſee his Face no more. The other treated upon that Text, 1 Kings 13.30. And he laid his Carkaſe in his own Grave, and they mourned over him, ſaying, alas my Brother!
Thus dyed this holy Man of God, that hath left few behind him of the ſame Spirit, a Dutiful Child to his godly Parents, a Loving Husband to his lovely Wife, an Indulgent Father to his hopeful Children, a Faithful Friend to all that feared God, a Conſciencious, Laborious Miniſter, and Tender-hearted Watchman over the Souls of his Flock. A Perſon of great worth in all Men's account but his own; indeed it was ſtrange to ſee a Man of ſuch eminent Parts, and rare, and raiſed Accompliſhments, to have ſo mean an eſteem of himſelf; he thought himſelf below others, though he was higher by Head and Shoulders than moſt of his Brethren: He was cloathed with Humility, this was the upper Garment, put upon all his other Graces, and was his braveſt Ornament, which rendred him Conſpicuous in the Eyes of all that knew him: Though much more might be ſaid of him, yet let his own Works Praiſe him in the Gates, and let us all make ſure of our State, and make haſt after him to that Land of Light, that New Jeruſalem.
It cannot be expected that a Compleat Draught of this worthy Man's Life ſhould be drawn by any Pencil but his own. May theſe hints of ſo rare a Patern of Piety, have influence upon his ſurviving Relations and Hearers, to transform them into the ſame Image, that this Legacy of ſo Rational a Diſcourſe, may have a perſwaſive Power to attract Souls to a Capacity for Divine Conſolations; and ſuch a real Example have a compulſive Power to draw many to follow this Heroe and others into Eternal Manſions; if both do not effect theſe Ends, the Spectator and Reader have more to Anſwer for.
ERRATA.
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