A Discourse of Divine Providence, Title page – To the reader
A Diſcourſe OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. I. In General: That there is a Providence Exerciſed by God in the World. II. In Particular: How all Gods Providences in the World, are in order to the good of his People. By the late Learned Divine, STEPHEN CHARNOCK, B. D. ſometime Fellow of New-Colledg in OXON.
Pſalm 103.19.
His Kingdom ruleth over all.
LONDON: Printed by R. Roberts for Thomas Cockerill, at the Three Legs in the Poultrey, near the Stocks-Market. 1684.
TO THE READER.
Reader,
THOU art here preſented with a little piece, of a Great Man; Great indeed, if great Piety, great Parts, great Learning, and great Wiſdom, may be admitted to claim that Title: And we verily believe that none well acquainted with him, will deny him his right; however malevolent Perſons may grudge him the honour. It hath been expected, and deſired by many, that ſome account of his Life might be given to the world; But we are not willing to offer violence to his aſhes, by making him ſo publick now he is Dead, who ſo much affected privacy while he lived. Thou art therefore deſired to reſt ſatisfied with this brief account of him, That being very young he went to Cambridge, where in Immanuel Colledge he was brought up under the Tuition of the preſent Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury. What Gracious workings and Evidences of the New-Birth appeared in him while there, hath already been ſpoken of by*Mr. Johnſon in his Sermon on occaſion of Mr. Charnocks death. one, who was at that time his Fellow Collegiate and Intimate. Some time he afterward ſpent in a private Family, and a little more in the exerciſe of his Miniſtry in Southwark; then removed to New-Colledge in Oxon, where he was Fellow, and ſpent ſeveral years; being then taken notice of for his ſingular Gifts, and had in Reputation by the moſt Learned and Godly in that Univerſity, and upon that account the more frequently put upon Publick work. Being thence (the year after he had been Proctor) called over into Ireland to a conſtant publick Employment, he exerciſed his Miniſtry for about four or five years, not with the approbation only, but to the admiration of the moſt Wiſe and Judicious Chriſtians, and with the concurrent applauſe of ſuch as were of very different ſentiments from him in the things of Religion; Nay, even thoſe that never loved his Piety, yet would commend his Learning and Gifts, as being beyond exception, if not abve compare. About the year 1660. being diſcharged from the publick exerciſe of his Miniſtry, he returned back into England, and in and about London ſpent the greateſt part of fifteen years, without any call to his old work in a ſetled way; but for about theſe five years laſt paſt hath been more known by his conſtant Preaching, of which we need not ſpeak, but let them that heard him, ſpeak for him; or, if they ſhould be ſilent, his Works will do it. He was a Perſon of excellent Parts, ſtrong Reaſon great Judgment, and (which do not often go together) curious Phanſie, of high Improvements, and general Learning, as having been all his days a moſt diligent and methodical Student, and a great Redeemer of time, reſcuing not only his reſtleſs hours in the Night, but his very walking time in the Streets from thoſe impertinencies and fruitleſs vanities, which do ſo cuſtomarily fill up mens minds, and ſteal away their hearts from thoſe better and more Noble objects, which do ſo juſtly challenge their greateſt regards: This he did by not only carefully watching (as every good Chriſtian ſhould do) but conſtantly writing down his Thoughts, whereby he both govern'd them better, and furniſhed himſelf with many materials for his moſt elaborate Diſcourſes. His chief Talent was his Preaching Gift, in which, to ſpeak modeſtly, he had few equals. To this therefore, as that for which his Lord and Maſter had beſt fitted him (neglecting the practice of Phyſick, in which he had arrived at a conſiderable meaſure of knowledge) he did eſpecially addict himſelf; and direct his Studies, and even when Providence denyed him opportunities, yet he was ſtill laying in more ſtock, and preparing for work againſt he might be called to it. When he was in Employment, none that heard him, could juſtly blame his retiredneſs, he being even when moſt private, continually at work for the Publick; and had he been leſs in his Study, he would have been leſs liked in the Pulpit. His Library, furniſhed (tho not with a numerous, yet) a curious Collection of Books, was his Workhouſe, in which he laboured hard all the Week, and on the Lords Day made it appear he had not been idle; and that tho he conſulted his privacy, yet he did not indulge his Sloth. He was ſomewhat reſerved where he was not well acquainted; otherwiſe very free, affable and communicative where he underſtood and liked his company. He affected not much Acquaintance, becauſe be would eſcape Viſitants, well knowing how much the ordinary ſort of Friends were apt to take up of his time, which he could ill ſpare from his beloved Studies, meeting with fevv that could give him better entertainment vvith their company, than he could give himſelf alone. They had need be very good, and very learned, by whoſe converſe he could gain more than by his own Thoughts and Books. He was a true Son of the Church of England, in that ſound Doctrine laid down in the Articles of Religion, and Taught by our moſt famous ancient Divines and Reformers; and a real follower of their Piety, as well as a ſtrenuous maintainer of the Truth they profeſſed. His Preaching was moſtly practical, yet rational and argumentative, to his hearers underſtandings, as well as affections; and where controverſies came in his way, he ſhewed great Acuteneſs and Judgment in diſcuſſing and determining them, and no leſs skill in applying them to practice: So that he was indeed a workman that needed not to be aſhamed, being able by ſound Doctrine, both to exhort and convince gain-ſayers. Some have thought his Preaching too high for vulgar Hearers, and it cannot be denyed but his gifts were ſuited to the more intelligent ſort of Chriſtians; yet it muſt withal be ſaid, that if he were ſometimes deep, he was never abſtruſe; he handled the great Myſteries of the Goſpel with much clearneſs and perſpicuity; ſo that if in his Preaching he were above moſt, it was only becauſe moſt were below him. Several conſiderable Treatiſes on ſome of the moſt important points of Religion, he finiſhed in his ordinary courſe, which he hath left behind him, in the ſame form he uſually writ them for the Pulpit. This comes out firſt as a Prodromus to ſeveral others deſigned to be made publick, as ſoon as they can be with conveniency tranſcribed, which (if the Lord will, and ſpare life) ſhall be atteſted with our hands; and whatever any elſe ſhall publiſh, can be but imperfect Notes (his own Copies being under our reviſal at the requeſt of his Friends) taken from him in the Pulpit, in which what miſtakes do often happen, every one knows, and we have found by experience in the caſe of this very Author, more than once. This was thought fit to be ſaid, to ſecure the reputation of the Dead, and prevent the abuſe of the Living. Theſe Sermons might have come out with the ſolemn ceremony of large recommendations, the Authors worth being ſo well known to, his Preaching ſo highly eſteemed by the moſt eminent Miniſters about the City; but it was judged needleſs, his own works being ſufficient to praiſe him.
One thing more is to be added, That ſuch as he is here, ſuch he is in his other Pieces; ſo that thou haſt here, Reader, a ſpecimen of the ſtrain and Spirit of this holy Man, this being his familiar and ordinary way of Preaching, and theſe Sermons coming out firſt, not as if they were the non-ſuch of what he left behind him, but becauſe they could ſooneſt be diſpatched, and to obviate the injuries might elſe be done by ſpurious Treatiſes, both to him, and thee; and likewiſe by this little taſt to gratifie the Appetites of ſuch who having been his Auditors, did long even with greedineſs to feaſt themſelves again upon thoſe excellent truths, which in the delivery were ſo ſweet to them. Perhaps too it may quicken their appetites who never heard him, it may be never yet heard of him. If thou like this Cluſter, Fear not but the Vintage will be anſvverable: If this little earneſt be good Metal, the vvhole ſum vvill be no leſs currant. That a Bleſſing from Heaven may be upon this vvork, and upon thee in Reading, and Studying the Nature, and Beauty, and Ends of Divine Providence, and that the Lord of the Harveſt (eſpecially vvhen ſo many are dayly called home) vvould ſend forth more and more ſuch labourers into the Harveſt, is the hearty prayer of.
Thine in the Lord. Richard Adams. Edward Veal.