Sorrow Upon Sorrow, Title page – To the reader
SORROW upon SORROW: OR, The much Lamented Death of the worthy Mr. Ralph Venning, BEING A SERMON Preached Upon the Sad Occaſion of his Death before his Burial, From Acts 20.38.
Sorrowing moſt of all that they ſhould ſee his Face no more.
By W. Beerman Miniſter of the Goſpel.
And Devout Men carried Steeven to his Burial, And made great Lamentation over him.
LONDON: Printed for Francis Smith, at the Elephant and Caſtle neer the Royal Exchange in Cornhil, 1674.
THE PREFACE to the READER.
Courteous Reader,
WHo ever thou art, to prevent miſapprehenſions of the Author that Preach'd this Sermon, or of the Perſon that Writ it, when Preach'd, we muſt tell thee that neither of them, by their ſo doing, deſign'd it for the Preſs, nor is it now publiſh'd for any other profit then thy own, (except the Printers, as the Labourer for his hire,) and this thou may'ſt ſee by its plain and evening Dreſs, in which it firſt appeared to the World, upon that ſorrowful Occaſion of the Death of Worthy Mr. Ralph Venning: I muſt acknowledge, through the modeſt unwillingneſs of the Author for its Publication, with the want of skill in the Pens Dexterity, many of its Ornaments, I mean thoſe fine Illuſtrations then Delivered may be wanting, but the hearing of it Preach'd pleas'd ſo many, and abides ſo habitually on their ſpirits, as to preſs for its Printing, which makes us not doubt, but the Reading will delight many more, it being ſo ſuitable, on ſo ſad an Occaſion, as the loſs of ſo Worthy and Eminent a Perſon as the Deceaſed was. We muſt alſo tell thee it was deferred the longer from Printing, in hopes the Author would have been ſo kind, if not to have Cloath'd it in its Priſtine ſtate, yet to have help'd any unwitting Errour in it, but the Parent is ſo far from owning this his Iſſue, that he cannot be prevail'd with (though by ſeveral Entreated) to help its lameneſs, occaſioned by the bad Midwife that now brings it to thy view; therefore is thy favourable, not ſevere Cenſure deſired.
If it meet with any ſuch hearts abroad, as it met with in the place where it was Preach'd, we are ſure there will not want watry Eyes, nor affected Hearts at ſuch and ſo great a Diſpenſation, for if the feet of them that bring glad tidings are ſo beautiful, that the holy Spirit by way of Admiration ſaith, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad Tidings of the Goſpel of Peace. On the contrary, muſt it not then be matter of great Lamentation, when the footſteps of ſuch are taken away. Its eminently known while he lived, he laboured, and with the good Bee, almoſt, if not altogether, ended his labours with his life. For while Preaching at Joyners Hall on the Lords day in the Afternoon, March 1. 1673. he was taken ill, and after that, never more able to Preach, but Departed this life, and did to the laſt ſtand by, putting on (as he had exhorted others to do) the whole Armour of God, that thereby they might, as he did, reſiſt the Wiles of the Devil, thus hoping as this that's Publiſh'd will not be chargable in the buying, ſo it will be pleaſant in the Reading; If any advantage be to the Reader, let God have the Glory, which is all that ever is aimed at by the Publiſhers, who heartily ſubſcribes themſelves thy Souls ſervants for Chriſts ſake.
D. L.
R. T.