Enochs Walk and Change, To the reader – Publishers advertisement
TO THE Reader.
ALthough of late yeares, this City hath been more freed then formerly, from the frights of wars, the noiſome peſtilence, and outward ſcarſity, yet the troubles of real Saints have been much increaſed, through the inundation of errours, hereſies and blaſphemies, too much …ulged. And this hath been no ſmall addition to our grief, …t many faithful, fruitful, Orthodox Miniſters, eminent …h for Learning and Piety, have by death been removed from … now in the time when we moſt needed their counſel, …ching and prayers, for our preſent healing, and the preven… of our future feared dangers.
Oh! how ſad a ſight is it, to behold our Pilots, our Steerſmen …ng dead upon the deck, when the winds riſe, the ſeas ſwell, … clouds blacken, and the Heavens lowre, preſaging approach… ſtormes: How awakening a Providence is this, to have … quarters beaten up, and at the ſame time to ſee our Cap…s and Standard-bearers laid lifeleſſe in the duſt! We can… without ſorrow remember the death of many of our Wor…es, whoſe ſignal characters of deſerved commendation have …eady been made publike for the uſe of ſucceeding Ages*Dr Gouge. M… Gataker. Mr Whitaker. Mr. Robinſon, &c.. …d this our late blow received in the removal of famous Mr. …es, doth cauſe our former wounds to bleed afreſh.
This Sermon preached at his Funeral, will give an account … his great worth. Therein therefore we ſhall be the ſhorter, …ugh by reaſon of our intimate acquaintance with him, we …ld ſpeak very much▪ His natural acumen, together with … acquired abilities were extraordinary. He was a ſmart Diſputant, as it was obſerved in many places with admiration… viz. not only in the Aſſembly of Divines againſt diſſenting Brethren, but likewiſe at the Conference at Ʋxbridge, and the Iſle of Wight, about the Jus Divinum of Prelacy, where ſome of his learned Oppoſites, ſtill living, were very ſenſible of his ſtrength. He was a well-ſtudied Orthodox Divine, his Miniſtry was ſolid, pithy, quick and ſearching, as his moſt judicious Auditors in Warwickſhire, Cambridge and London will acknowledge. His Sermon preached at the Funeral of the Right Honourable the Earle of Eſſex, doth prove him to be an excellent Rhetorician, an eloquent Oratour. The Sermons preached before both Houſes of Parliament, do not only diſcover h… high parts, but do tell the world that he was neither a flatter… nor time ſerver. As he had a clear head, and could dive dee… into a knotty controverſie, ſo he had (Luther-like) an undaunted ſpirit, and was not afraid of men, but could and would ſpeak his minde in any company, with brave mettal and magnanimity. The great deſige of his Miniſtery, (eſpecially toward his end) was to drive man out of himſelf, and to draw him unto Chriſt; to diſcover the cheats of mans deceitful heart, and to throw down all ſandy foundations of hope of Heaven; to encourage an humble dependance upon the Lord Jeſus, a… alſo to quicken inſide holineſſe, with the Power of Godlineſſe… in a Chriſtian converſation.
And (to adde that which was the Crown of all his other Excellencies) he was a man of a right gracious tender ſpirit whereof this was one demonſtration, (to inſtance in no more that he reſolved rather to ſuffer, by being turned out of the Maſterſhip of Pembroke-Hall in Cambridge, than to ſubſcribe the Engagement againſt his conſcience. Yea, he was (of our knowledge) a hearty Presbyterian, notwithſtanding the many diſcouragements which are from every hand, caſt upon the death of this Worthy man, our much endeared Brother… our words cannot ſufficiently expreſſe the grief of our own… hearts; And, to move others to mourning (beſides ſundry other Arguments which we will not mention,) we may truly apply ſome of the paſſages of Davids Lamentation) over Sa… and Jonathan. Weep over Saul, who cloathed you with ſcarlet, with other delights, 2 Sam. 1who put on Ornaments of gold upon your apparel. The bow of Jonathan returned not hack. They were ſtronger then Lions. How profitable and pleaſant, how warm in affections, how delightful in language, and how rich in notions was precious Mr. Vines in his Miniſtry! and with what irreſiſtible ſtrength was he wont to ſhoot arrowes of conviction into the conſciences of his Auditors? But alas alas, Now this Champion, this Prince of Preachers is laid ſilent in the duſt, (with many other of our reverend deceaſed Brethren) never any more to awaken, to warm, to encourage, to edifie our ſouls by Miniſterial endeavors.
Doubtleſſe by theſe doleful diſpenſations, the voice of the Lord ſpeaketh to the great City. Hear the R…d, Micah 6.9and who hath appointed it. And becauſe there can be no evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it,Amos 3.6 therefore the Prudent will lay theſe things to heart.
When the Miniſters of the Goſpel are decried as Antichriſtian by many, and ſlighted as uſeleſſe by the moſt, it is matter of Lamentation; and ſhould be for a Lamentation, that at the ſame time God himſelf doth make ſuch great breaches, both in this City and ſeveral other Counties in the Nation, by taking to himſelf ſo many, and men ſo tranſcendently famous, for their ability and fidelity in the ſervice of his Church.
And how can a gracious heart do leſſe upon ſuch ſad occaſions, then (groaning out its grief at Gods foot) make ſerious inquiries, what may be the cauſe of this his great diſpleaſure?Deut. 29.24. Ezek. 20 As among the Iſraelites the Sabbaths ceaſe…h becauſe they were deſpiſed; ſo, may not we ſuſpect that the number of worthy Miniſters in London and England is much abated▪ becauſe they are commonly undervalued?Iſai. 5 The barrenneſſe of Gods Vineyard provoked him to deprive them of the influences of thoſe clouds, which before had watered them. The Lord Jeſus threatned to remove the Candleſtick with the light in it from the Church of Epheſus, Rev. 2.4, 5 Amos 8.5. with 10.11, 12becauſe ſhe had loſt her firſt love. And heretofore, a famine of hearing Gods Word was menaced, when holy Ordinances became burdenſome.
Theſe, and many more inſtances recorded in holy Story, do hint the cauſes of divine diſpleaſure, expreſſed by the death of ſo many worthy Miniſters.
But it is much more eaſie in theſe our ſufferings, to diſcover the hand which inflicteth them, and the ſins which procure them, then to prevail with people, ſo ſeriouſly to ſet upon the work of Humiliation and Reformation, that the Almighty may be pacified towards us, and that theſe our ſad breaches may be ſanctified and repaired through his grace.
Herein, his Majeſty help us and our Brethren in the Miniſtry, to be ſucceſſefully ſerviceable by our counſel, example and prayers, through the prevalent Interceſſion of our Lord and Saviour; in whom we are
Thy Soul-Friends and Servants, SIMEON ASHE. EDMUND CALAMY. March 10. 1655.
All Mr. VINE's Sermons are newly collected into one Volume, and printed for Abel Roper, at the Sun againſt Dunſtans Church in Fleetſtreet.