Elijahs Abatement, Title page – Dedication
ELIAH'S ABATEMENT: Or, CORRUPTION IN THE SAINTS. Diſcovered and diſtinguiſhed in a Sermon, Preached at Chatham in KENT, At the Funeral of that Faithful Miniſter of the Goſpel, Mr. GUALTER ROSWELL, M. A. Late Preacher there. By THO. CASE, M. A. and Rector of Giles in the Fields.
LONDON, Printed by E. T. for Luke Fawn, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the ſign of the Parrat in Pauls Church-yard, 1658.
To his much honoured FRIENDS,
CHARLES BOWLS Eſq. High Sheriff of Kent;
PETER PETT Eſq. one of the Commiſſioners of the Navie;
RICH. ISACKSON Eſq.
Capt. PHINEAS PETT, His Loving and Reſpected NEPHEW;
Capt. JOHN PILGRIM, With the reſt of the Inhabitants of Chatham in Kent.
Worthy and well-beloved Friends,
THE death of a faithfull Miniſter the Goſpel is no ſmall loſſe unto a people, eſpecially when the ſpirit of errour and ſeduction is gone out into the world: It is like the taking off a Shepherd from his Flock, when the Wolves are abroad; or, the Hen from her Chickens, when the birds of prey are upon the wing: It is like the removing of a Watch-man from his Watch-Tower, when the enemy is upon his march; a skilful Pilot from the Helm, or, the Helm from the Ship, in the midſt of a tempeſtuous and a fluctuating Sea; like the ſlaughter of a General in the head of his Army, when the Enemy is ready to Charge. Surely none of theſe are of more fatal influence in the affairs of the worldly ſtate, then the other of the Evangelical.
In ſuch a juncture of time hath God taken away from your head that Precious and Worthy Servant of His, your late Reverend and Faithful Paſtor, Mr. GUALTER ROSWELL; whoſe eminent abilities, unwearied labours, in publick, and in private; impartial fidelity, and compaſſionate ſpirit over periſhing ſinners; and, in a word, his great integrity in all his miniſterial out-goings before you; I humbly conceive there are none among you but will thankfully acknowledge, unleſs ſuch (poſſibly) whom either erroneous principles, or looſe practiſes, occaſioned to look upon him, as their *Gal. 4.16. An expectas ut Quintilianus ametur?Enemy.
That this Lot may not be of ſo fatal conſequence unto you, accept I beſeech you a few Advices from him that loveth you.
In the firſt place, Ad∣vice. 1 Be deeply ſenſible of your Loſs. Truly your Loſs is great; and unſenſibleneſs, will be the aggravation of it: while your loſs is but your affliction, unſenſibleneſſe will be your ſin. A ſin which God ſeverely animadverts, though it do but relate to Saints of a more private ſtation; The righteous periſheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and merciful men are taken away, none conſidering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.Iſa. 57.1.
This, Jer. 22.15, 16. 2 Chron. 34.3.35.23, 24.ſome reſtrain to the perſon of JOSIAS, That righteous and merciful Prince: but, the words ſeem more general; being taken collectively, as Pſ. 11.5. And, without queſtion, MANY godly ones, of that age, were taken away by a premature death, and that, in a judicial ſeverity to the ſurviving generation of the profane & hypocritical Iſraelites: who in the mean time gave themſelves to ſecurity, letting themſelves looſe to all ſenſual exceſſes, And that, as it were under the protection of divine patience; taking Gods ſilence for Gods conſent, and his long-ſuffering towards them, as an infallible evidence of his approbation of their wickedneſſes.
Now, if it were ſuch a ſin to over-look Providence in the death of righteous and merciful men, what an aggravation of guilt is it, to be blind to the ſeverer diſpenſations of juſtice, in the untimely death, of righteous and merciful Miniſters, whoſe lives are of a more publick and Ʋniverſal influence! Surely to ſhut our eyes againſt ſuch ſignal indiciums of divine diſpleaſure, is highly provoking to God; and may juſtly bring a people, or a perſon, within the verge of that tremendous curſe. Becauſe they regard not the works of the Lord, Pſal. 28.5.nor the operation of his hands, he will deſtroy them and not build them up.
Secondly, Adv. 2 Lay to heart your great unthankfulneſs and unfruitfulneſs under ſuch precious influences. I am afraid, while ſome did deſpiſe his excellent labours, few did value them at a due rate. While ſome were fruitful onelyonly in the works of the fleſh, not many did anſwer Gods expectations, Gal 5 2.in the fruits of the ſpirit.
I accuſe none, I caution all; that while (poſſibly) you enquire into the cauſe of ſuch an unexpected ſtroke, every one may *1 King. 8.47. foreign If they return to their heart.bethink themſelves, and cry with the Diſciples, Lord, is it I? Ah! Lord, was my murmuring, my unthankfulneſs, my unanſwerable converſation, my unrighteous oppoſition, &c. the cauſe of this ſore diſpleaſure? That which I ſee not, Job 34.3.ſhew thou me; and, if I have done wickedly, I will do ſo no more.
Thirdly, Adv. 3 Seek the face of God in faſting and prayer, TOGETHER and APART, *Zech. 12 12.for the attoning of his favour, and the recruiting of your loſs. Numb. 2.14.Had but her Father ſpit in her face; ſhould ſhe not be aſhamed ſeven daies? Said God to Moſes concerning his murmuring Siſter. Dear Chriſtians, God hath done more then ſpit in your face, Hoſ. 6.13. Bern. told his brother, A rough hewen ſouldier, ſlighting his reproofes, pointing to his ſide, One day a Spear ſhall make way to thine heart, for counſel to enter.in this ſad diſpenſation; he hath ſmitten you, and made him ſick in ſmiting you; God, by this wound make way for his word to enter into your hearts. You have cauſe to lye in the duſt, & ſhame your ſelves in Gods preſence; as to deprecate (with tender-hearted Joſiah,) the wrath of God; ſo to get your breach repaired. And ſurely the recruit of ſuch a loſs is worth many daies of humiliation: and the Lord accept of your faces in Chriſt.
I would faign have the name of Him, that ſhall be your Miniſter, 1 Sam. 1.20. foreign q. foreign Asked, or Lent of Cod.be SAMUEL. Holy Hannah will expound to you the myſtery; She called her ſon Samuel; and why? Becauſe, ſaid ſhe, I aſked him of the Lord. This will be your comfort and your honour; That, when you ſee a faithfull Miniſter in your Pulpit, you may be able to ſay, This is He, whom we have begged of God: A mercy got by prayer, is a double mercy: a bleſſing and the return of prayer too; which, whatever the bleſſing be, is twice ſo much.
Fourthly, Adv. 4 And, that you may proſper in your choice, let me humbly begg of you, to forget all your own private opinions and differences; Diviſions have been the ſad obſtructions of Englands Reformation and Settlement: I am confident had it not been for our unhappy diſſents, and more unhappy diſſentions, England had been the moſt glorious people upon the face of the earth, ſince Chriſt and his Apoſtles left the world: For the diviſions of Reuben are great ſearchings of heart. Of which we may ſay as it was ſaid once of the contentions between the Reformed Churches in Luthers time; *Diſſenſus condonart poteſt, modo adſit fides in Chriſto; Diſſenſiones vero, neque ſiſanguinem fundamus, expiabimus. Melanct. to Luther.Our DISSENTS had been pardonable (I ſpeak in order to matters of Diſcipline,) through faith in Chriſt; but, as for our DISSENTIONS, all the blood in our veins will never waſh off the guilt.
It is time for Chriſtians to cloſe, and to make up their breaches. Is not Religion, tantum non, deſtroyed by our diviſions? Ah! that all ſuch as love Jeſus Chriſt in CHATHAM would here in be exemplary; that you would lay by all your differences, and animoſities, and unite, as one man, in this work, wherein the glory of God, the honour of the Goſpel, your good, and the good of your poſterity is ſo highly concerned; the choiſe of a Miniſter. And, for the guiding of your choiſe, propound to your ſelves, I beſeech you, ſome ſuch Scripture-qualifications; as follow.
1. Let him be a learned man: I am confident it is one of the policies of Antichriſt amongſt us, To cry down learning, as knowing that an ignorant and illiterate Miniſtry would eaſily betray the Proteſtant Religion into his hands; Who ſhould not be able to diſcover their impoſtures, nor evade their Sophiſtry. I do verily believe none are enemies to learning, Latrones prius lampadem extinguunt & tunc latrocinantur.but ſuch as are friends to that deſign. Moſes was skil'd in all the learning of the Egyptians; Saint Paul brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, and, verſt in Heathen learning; he was able to confute them out of their own *Aratus. Act. 17.28. Anacrcon. 1 Cor. 15.32. Menader. verſ. 33. Epimenides Tit 1.12 Whom the Cretians called a Prophet.Poets. The Pontificians have felt the dint of your Learned-Proteſtant Adverſaries ſword; and, therefore, now would act the Philiſtines plot upon us, 1 Sam. 13.19.that there ſhould be no Smith found in all theſe three Nations; leſt they ſhould make themſelves ſwords and ſpears, weapons of defence, and offence, to ſtand up againſt their Babylonian forces. At leaſt, it is ignorance that loves ignorance, and errour that ſhuns the light.
Secondly, Qual. 2 He muſt be alſo a man of a ſound judgement, and well verſt in the Controverſies of the times, that ſo he may not only, be able to preach truth; but, to confute errour, Tit. 1.9.and convince the gain-ſayer: One that may be able to ſtop the mouth of ſeducers; foreign.to *Tit. 1.11.muzzle them (as the word ſignifieth) that they may not, boldly, The Devils words to Him were theſe; What ſtand I talking with thee? All men know thou art bold Rothwell, and feareſt no body, nor careſt for words; therefore I will talk with thee no more. See the life of Mr. Rothwell, ſet forth by M. S. Clerk.and blaſphemouſly, bark againſt the truth. Such an one was your late, and worthy, ROSWELL; the hammer of the Hereticks, of this generation: The Hereticks were as much afraid of his name, as the Devil in poor poſſeſſed JOHN FOX of Nottingham-ſhire was lately of a man of a like name, and Spirit; famous ROTHWELL.
Thirdly, Qual. 3 Be ſure to make choice of an holy man; a man whoſe life may be a Continual Sermon; that may teach by his converſation as well as by his doctrine. He hath no life in his doctrine that hath not doctrine, in his life: Nay, there is not a readier way to make men turn Atheiſts, then for a Miniſter to preach ſtrictly, and live looſely: Men will believe their eyes, rather then their ears; Vivitur exemplo.and are lead by example rather then by precept; whereby it cometh to paſs that the ſins of the teachers are the teachers of ſin.
Fourthly, Qual. 4 Make choiſe of a man of an healing Spirit; to which is required much prudence and integrity. Prudence; every fool can make diviſions; it is onelyonly the wiſe man that can make them up. And there muſt be integrity too, leaſt, inſtead of healing diviſions, he comply with mens luſts, and ſerve the intereſt of the Devil, rather then of Jeſus Chriſt: as too many of our times do, who would have the repute of ſweet-ſpirited men.
Fifthly, A man therefore of gravity and experience would be much deſired among you. Qual. 5 Quickneſs of fancy, is rarely joined (eſpecially in young men) with ſoundneſs of judgment: He that will do good in CHATHAM muſt carry ſome authority in his very perſon.
Whether my advice to you in theſe particulars may not come too late, I know not; if you have prevented me herein, I ſhall count it labour well loſt: if not, I pray God, it may be a labour well beſtowed. And, The God of the Spirits of all fleſh ſet SUCH A MAN over your Congregation, Numb. 27.16, 17.that may go in and out before you: that the Congregation of the Lord (even while you may have a preacher) may not be as ſheep without a ſhepherd.
Fifthly, For his better encouragement, Adv. 5 raiſe a competent proviſion for his comfortable ſubſiſtence: that while he ſhould be ſtudying for your Souls, he may not be diſtracted with cares for his own Family.
It is the divinity of our times, That the Miniſters of the Goſpel muſt live upon the Contributions of the people; the people may indent with him for his work, but he muſt not indent with them for his wages; he muſt be bound, but they be free: and I would they were free indeed. An expedient, which theſe times have found out, to tye up the Miniſters tongue under their girdles: flatterers by this means may, probably, ſcrape out a livelyhood; but, faithful ones (without ſpecial providence) are likely to be ſterved; They hate him that reproveth in the gate.
It is in the power of your hand to prevent this miſchief. I know not any Congregation, of that quality, in England, wherein it is a matter of more facility, & leſs charge, to raiſe up a liberal ſubſiſtence for a faithful Miniſter, then your CHATHAM is. (I know what I ſay;) Worthy Friends, make not your Miniſter an Almesman, that the poor man dare not to reprove ſin leſt one of my Maſters withdraw his contribution. In this ſence I would have him be an Independent; that he may ſpeak the truth of God without fear.
Sixthly, Adv. 6 Forget not the labour of love, and the work of faith, of Him that now is at reſt with God: His dear and precious Relicts are yet with you; what He is not capable of in perſon, pay unto his poſterity: It is but a ſmall matter, when you have reapt of the Fathers Spirituals, that his Orphan-Family partake of your temporals: He was content to leave them poor, that he might make you rich; in the midſt of your riches, let not his precious relations remain poor.
Laſtly, my requeſt to you is, That you will own this vindication of his great faithfulneſs and integrity among you; and give it a room in your houſes, and in your hearts. Surely, you have the moſt right to this dedication, of any people in the world; in the ſervice of whoſe faith he ſpent his Eſtate, and Himſelf to boot. Accept it, as a Teſtimony of my dear and deſerved reſpect to the Dead, and of my tender affection to the living; And the Lord add his own bleſſing: That the fruit of theſe poor labours may be abundant, by many Thankſ-givings, to the glory of God. So Prayeth
Your very faithful, and affectionate friend and ſervant in the Goſpel THO. CASE.