Commentary on Malachi, Title page 1 – Dedication 1
A LEARNED AND VERY USEFULL COMMENTARY UPON THE WHOLE PROPHESIE OF MALACHY.
BY That late Reverend, Godly and Learned Divine, Mr. RICHARD STOCK, ſometime Rector of Alhallowes Breadſtreet, London, and now, according to the Originall Copy left by him, publiſhed for the common good.
Whereunto is added, AN EXERCITATION upon the ſame Propheſie of MALACHY.
By SAMUEL TORSHELL.
LONDON, Printed by T. H. and R. H. for Daniel Frere and William Wells, and are to be ſold at their ſhops in Little Britaine. 1641.
Reader if euer Fame did fill thy care
withe name of Reuerent Stock, behold him heere,
Not in this Shaddow onelyonly, but turne ore,
the Booke, and verroe this Stockes improued store.
There shalt find mixt with Graue Diuinitie
a Prophets depe mysterious Prophecy.
then thanke his care whose goodneſs doth unlocke,
and publish to ye world me Rich a Stocke.
To The ancient Friends and Hearers of the Author, eſpecially to the Right Worſhipfull EDWARD RUDGE Alderman; To the Worſhipfull Captaine JOHN VEN, Mr. WILLIAM KENDALL, Mr. RICHARD ELLIS, with the reſt of the Inhabitants of the parriſh of Alhallowes Breadſtreet, LONDON.
MY owne occaſions, together with ſome other difficulties and impediments, have hitherto hindred a purpoſe that I had, from the very firſt time that the papers of this worthy man were intruſted to me, to communicate them to the World and to you. But I have now done it, and I hope it is not too late, either to revive his memorie, or your remembrance of thoſe things you have heard from him. I will not beleeve that you have forgotten, or can forget a Paſtor whom you did ſo much love and reverence: For he was a burning and ſhining light,John 5.35. and yee rejoiced in his light. I have taken this paines to peruſe his notes, that he againe though dead might ſtill ſpeake unto you:Heb. 11.4. and I doe endeavour that now after his deceaſe you may have theſe things alwaies in your remembrance.2 Pet. 1.15. God was pleaſed to ſend you a rich treaſure by his Miniſterie;2 Cor. 4.7. but this treaſure was brought unto you in an Earthen veſſell; and leaſt haplie when that earthen veſſell was broke by ſickneſſe and death, and the ſhards throwne into the Earth, you ſaved not the treaſure; I have now gathered ſome of it, and kowing to whom it did belong, have brought it back to Reſtore it unto you.Ephe. 4.21. Now what remains, but that you enjoy it & uſe it: let that be your care to be anſwerable to the Doctrine you have received; to walke ſo as yee have learned Chriſt. If ſo bee that yee have heard him, and have been taught by him as the truth is in JESUS. This is the onelyonly thing that I have to ſay unto you; that your converſation may tell the world you doe remember him. Let him live in your lives; That ſo even they who never knew him, nor ever heard him preach a Sermon, may ſee by your practiſe what and how hee preached. And as yee have made a Monument for him in your Church; ſet up one alſo in everyone of your lives; you ſhall thereby doe him a greater honor, then that ſtone-work (though otherwiſe a Commendable Teſtimonie of your love and reſpect) can doe him. Be yee your ſelves his Monument, his Statue,Phil. 4.1. his Trophee,1 Theſ. 2.19. and as the Philippians and Theſſalonians were to St Paul, 2 Cor. 3.2.his Crown of glorying. Be yee his Epiſtle known and read of all men: Let all men ſee what he writ in you: What precepts of Holineſſe, of Righteouſneſſe, of Temperance,Pſal. 45.1. hee wrote downe in your hearts, when his tongue was the pen of a readie writer ſo long among you. He was a Father I ſuppoſe unto manie of you, I have heard ſome of you profeſſe it,1 Cor. 4.15. (though yee have ten thouſand inſtructers in Chriſt, yet have yee not many Fathers,) If in Jeſus Chriſt hee hath begotten you through the Goſpell, bee followers of him, imitate him ſo, as that men may ſay of you, when they ſee the grave and ſober, and godlie carriage of any of you, he hath his fathers Counteinance, he hath his fathers Gate. He ſet a moſt faire Copy, doe yee imitate the hand.Iohn 10.3.4. 1 Tim. 4.12. He did as his great Maſter, he went before his flocke: And was an example of beleivers, in word, in Converſation, in Charity, in Spirit, in faith, in purity; In all things he ſhewed himſelfe a patterne, a ſtampe,Tit. 2.7. that is the Apoſtles word, ſuch a ſtampe,foreign. as makes an Image of it in Coine, or ſuch a ſtamp as Printers uſe, which leaves an Impreſſion on the Paper: be yee his Impreſſion, be yee his printed worke; be yee the Commentary your ſelves, and then yee need not buy it at the ſhops: He was Typus Gregis, be yee Antitypon Paſtoris: Goe through the world like good and current Coine, with the right ſtampe.Mat 22.20. Shew whoſe Superſcription and Image you beare; on one ſide Gods, on the other ſide Ceſars, and both ſtampt upon you by your Paſtor, who was wont to Preach unto you thoſe two points, Holineſſe and Obedience. Shew that you ſuffered him while you ſate under his Pulpit, to enter deep into your hearts: A deep ſtamp is long before it is worne out; let it appeare that theſe fifteene yeeres ſince he dyed, you have not forgotten the word of his exhortation.Luke 11.28. They heare beſt, that practice beſt: If any of you be prophane and unholy, if deceitfull and diſhoneſt in your dealings, if intemperate, voluptuous and wanton; yee might happily bee his Hearers, and in the throng, but none of his Diſciples, but ſuch as liſtned with the other eare to your luſts. But I am perſwaded better things of you,Heb. 6.9. and things that accompany ſalvation, though I thus ſpeake: for I know your husbandman was skilfull, and the ſeed good.Math. 13.3. 1 Pet. 1.23. Beare not therefore thorns and briars, for ſuch ground is rejected and nigh unto curſing, whoſe end is to be burned; but rather ſhew your ſelves to be the earth that hath drunk in the raine that came oft upon you, and bring forth fruit, that ſo you may receive a further bleſſing from God. Unto whoſe bleſſing and moſt gracious protection I commend you, and remaine,
Your ſervant in the Lord, SAM. TORSHELL.