The Life and Death of Reverend Edmund Trench, Frontispiece – To the reader
In simplicity and Godly sincerity
M… Doule pinx…
R White ſculp…
The Reverend Mr. Edmund Trench.
SOME Remarkable Paſſages IN THE Holy Life and Death Of the late Reverend Mr Edmund Trench; Moſt of them drawn out of his own DIARY.
Being Dead, yet Speaketh, Heb. 11.4.
LONDON, Printed by T. Warren, for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapſide; and Jonathan Robinſon, at the Golden-Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1693.
TO Sir Thomas Roberts, Bt. AND Mr. Thomas Trench, Merchant.
IT did not need any long Diſpute with me to whom I ſhould preſent this Account of the Reverend Mr. Trench's Life, drawn from his own Breviate of it; when I conſider'd not only your Relation to him, (the one by Marriage, the other by Blood;) but that extraordinary peculiar Affection to you both, which his Diary ſo frequently abounds with large Expreſſions of. How great a ſhare had you in his kind and ſollicitous Thoughts! And how conſtantly were any Events that concern'd your Welfare, the matter of his Prayers or Praiſes in his holy Retirements! I have indeed deſignedly left out thoſe Paſſages, wherein he declares his Judgment of you, tho' ſome of them were otherwiſe very fit to be inſerted, as expreſſive of the low Opinion he had of himſelf. For tho' there could be no ſuſpicion of Flattery in 'em on the part of the Dead; yet I know the moſt deſerved Praiſes are dangerous to the living. And I am too deſirous of your imitating your excellent Brother in that Humility (which was one of the moſt amiable Excellencies that adorn'd his Life,) to do any thing that might be prejudicial to your improvement in that Grace, which (as he would often obſerve) ſhould be the diſtinguiſhing Badge of our Relation to our bleſſed Maſter. That you may ſtill live to anſwer more fully the Character he gives, and the great hopes that he had conceiv'd of you; That the ſtock of Prayers which he daily laid up in Heaven, may deſcend in yet richer Returns on your ſelves and Families: That you may ſtill follow him more, in Copying out that admirable Deſcription of our Saviour's Life,Acts 10.38. That he went about doing good: That you may improve the conſiderable Advantages you are entruſted with for that bleſſed purpoſe; That thereby you may encreaſe the number of ſo bright Examples of goodneſs in a degenerate Age, and become the ſingular Ornaments of your Chriſtian Profeſſion in it, is the hearty Prayer of
Your affectionate humble Servant, J. Boyſe.
PREFACE TO THE READER.
'TIS not without the Contrivance of exquiſite Wiſdom, that the Pen-men of the Holy Scriptures have recorded ſo many Obſervable Paſſages of the Lives and Deaths of ſeveral Eminent Saints. For (beſides that there is ſomething in the Hiſtorical Part of the Bible ſo grateful to our Natural Curioſity, as more eaſily engages our Attention and Delight in the peruſal of it:) We ſhould be too ready to think theſe Sacred Oracles deliver to us an impracticable Idea of Piety and Holineſs, if we did not behold the accurate Impreſſion of its Doctrines and Precepts inſl…p'd on the Temper and Actions of thoſe that embrace'd 'em. But thoſe amiable living Patterns of Religion ſenſibly reproach our Defects as inexcuſable, encourage and quicken our Endeavours, and inflame us with a holy Emulation, to equal, or outdo 'em. There is indeed one peculiar advantage in that relation of the Lives of good Men, which the Holy Scriptures contain; that we are ſure their Actions are repreſented with all plainneſs and ſimplicity. The curious Pieces drawn by thoſe inſpir'd Painters, owe none of that native Beauty and Luſtre they appea… with, to the arbitrary favour of their Pencils, which as faithfully preſent to our view thoſe Defects and Spots which ſhew'd 'ent to be the Children of Adam. as thoſe fairer Lineaments and Stroke of the Divine Image, which evidenc'd thim to be the Sons of God. But next to the Memoirs of holy Men recorded there there are none in which we can have greater aſſurance of impartiality, or may expect to find not only their Actions, but even the ſecret Springs and Motives … them more faithfully laid open, than in thoſe penn'd by themſelves: Eſpecially when thoſe that keep Diaries of their own Lives, are not only Perſons of ſolid Judgment, but of that remarkable Humility and Integrity that may command belie from all that know 'em. On both theſe accounts this enſuing Breviate of the Reverend Mr. Trench's Life does recommend it ſelf. 'Twas penn'd by him in the times he ſet apart for the ſtricteſt Self-reflection. I need ſay nothing to perſwade any that had the happineſs to converſe with him, how exactly his own Motto was engraven on his Words as well as Actions; In ſimplicity and godly ſincerity. And even for thoſe that knew him not, I am confident there are ſo lively Characters of Sincerity that appear in theſe Papers themſelves, as will abundantly ſatisfie all that read 'em, that in writing them he ſate to himſelf, and drew a naked and undiſſembled Portraicture of his own Soul. And though I doubt not be intended 'em only for his own uſe, or his near Relations; yet they are too precious Remains of that excellent Soul, and too capable of being publickly uſeful to the intereſt of Religion, to be ſo confin'd. The Truth of Chriſtianity has been prov'd by the cleareſt Arguments that the nature of the Subject can require; and vindicated againſt the moſt plauſible Objections of the numerous Infidels, or (as they would now be call'd) Deiſts of this Age. But methinks the lives of ſuch eminent Profeſſors of it, are a conſiderable Addition to the ſtrength of thoſe Arguments, and carry with 'em more ſenſible Evidence of its Truth. That Revelation muſt ſure needs be from God, which … thoſe that embrace it into ſo Godlike a temper, and raiſes 'em to ſo glorious a Reſemblance and Imitation of the Divine Life. And here thoſe that own the Principles of Chriſtianity may in this Glaſs eaſily learn to diſtinguiſh betwixt its viral power, and that diſpirited dead Image of it ſo common in the World. It evidently appears from this account of his Life, that thoſe two Eſſential Branches of our holy Religion, Love to God, (venting it ſelf in a conſtant and devout intercourſe with him through a Mediator) and Love to Men (inflam'd by the peculiar Motives the Goſpel preſents, and expreſſing it ſelf in the moſt affectionate and …alous endeavours to do them the greateſt and moſt laſting good) were the very Conſtitution and Frame of his renewed Nature, and the daily Pulſe and Breath of his Soul. O with what attractive Glory would practicat Chriſtianity ſhine and render the Chriſtian Church a fair Model of the heavenly Society, were ſuch Inſtances of its admirable ſanctifying Influence as common as thoſe Votaries it has gain'd from Cuſtom and Intereſt. But I would eſpecially propoſe his life as a Copy for thoſe of his own Profeſſion to write after: They may from him learn, that thoſe only are fit to undertake ſo awful a Truſt as to watch over the Souls of others, who are diligently careful to obſerve and regulate their own. In him there was a rare mixture of the Graces that ſhould adorn both the contemplative and active part of a Miniſter's life. And few have I known to whom that Character of Miniſters (which he us'd to draw from their being call'd Angels, did more exactly agree: For his time was truly divided betwixt beholding the Face of his Father in Heaven, and miniſtring to the Heirs of Salvation on Earth. There was no colour for taxing him with thoſe faults that are of late become the common reproach of too many of the Clergy, Ambition and Avarice. He was ſo far from aſpiring to great Preferments, that he would thankfully have accepted of the meaneſt Cure, wherein he might have had the opportunity of doing good to Souls in a publick Station, which his ſtrong Inclinations to peace made him (perhaps too earneſtly) deſirous of.
Indeed if ever Humility inclin'd to a culpable exceſs, it was in him; For to that we muſt impute it, that ſo eminent a Light was for ſo many Years confin'd to a dark Corner, which was fitter to ſhed its diffuſive Beams in a far larger Orb. And ſo far was he from proſtituting his Profeſſion to ſerve a ſecular Intereſt, that having enough of his own to ſubſiſt on, h… never receiv'd one Farthing on the ſcore of his unwearied Labours; but on th… contrary, laid out a conſiderable Sum yearly in good Books and other ways of Charity among the People he Preach'd to; and contributed liberally out of his own Purſe, t… ſuch young Miniſters as had but a ſcanty and diſcouraging Allowance. I confeſs, A… are not capable of imitating him herein … but methinks ſuch Examples ſhould upbraid thoſe Clergy-men that not only ſee… Eccleſiaſtical Dignities, with the ſam… mean and ſordid Arts that others do Secular ones; but ſo often by Pluraliti… enrich themſelves at no leſs coſt than th… neglected betrayed Souls of the People (An abuſe too foul for any ſpecious colour to hide the deformity of it; and ſo gro… that it could not eſcape the Complaints … the packt Council of Trent; and 'tis … ſhame that our Convocations have never done any thing to reform it.) He on the contrary was as liberal of his Purſe as … his Pains, to promote that Intereſt of his bleſſed Maſter, which was far dearer to him than any that he could call his own. And indeed the admirable Succeſs which both his, and worthy Mr. Brand's Miniſtry, (who was for ſome Years his Neighbour in thoſe parts of Kent) met with, as endear'd by their large and generous Cha…ty, has often made me wiſh, that more …ous Gentlemen would devote their Sons to that Sacred Function, who are able to give 'em ſuch Eſtates as ſhall free them from the neceſſity of dependance on their People, and capacitate them to recommend their Inſiructions by their Alms. As …ur Saviour's Miracles of Mercy in healing men's diſeaſed Bodies, prepar'd 'em to receive him as the compaſſionate Phyſician of Souls: So when his Miniſters are capable to relieve the Neceſſities of others, their Charity inſinuates into the …earts of their People that affectionate Veneration for them, as gives all their holy …ounſels the greater Authority and Efficacy. There is but one thing more I ſhall take notice of concerning him, and that is, …is great Temper and Moderation in re…erence to thoſe modern Controverſies that …ive made ſo great a noiſe in the Reformed Churches; And I do it the rather, be cauſe the Reader may wonder to find litt… or no mention of 'em in the following Breviate of his life. But tho' few perhaps d… more throughly underſtand 'em, yet no… that ever I converſt with, ſpake more ſparingly of them. He lookt on that violet Zeal which the moſt expreſs about 'em, as feavouriſh preternatural heat that on… prey'd on the vital fervour of practice Religion. But when he declar'd his Judgment to his Friends that deſir'd it, profeſt his concurrence with ſuch as ende… vour'd to reconcile the contending Parti… by avoiding the harſh extreams of either and particularly his great eſteem of the p… ciſick Writings of that eminent Ligh of his age, Mr. Baxter, to whom he own himſelf more indebted for ſolid and uſe… knowledge, than any other whatſoever, th… he had read the moſt celebrated of t… French as well as Engliſh Divines, an… had a particular value for the Writings Monſieur Daille, and Dr. Iſaac Barrow And now I ſhall no longer detain the Re… der from the peruſal of his Life, than … deſire he may read it with a ſerious deſig… to tranſcribe into his own, whatever he ſh… find in it worthy of his imitation.