A Shock of Corn Coming in its Season, Preface
Men, Brethren, and Fathers,
WEre Prefaeces and Apologies ſutable either to the ſervice of the Day, or the diſpoſition of the Speaker, I might prefix a large Apologie to my enſuing Diſcourſe. Should I preface my own unworthineſſe to undertake, or inſufficiency to go through the following employment, I might poſſibly by ſome be more ſuſpected of pride, than commended for modeſty. I am not ignorant that a proud heart, may oft lye under a ſelf-debaſing tongue. And I have heard of ſome who put their prayſes to uſury, they diſpraiſing themſelves for a while, Robinſons Obſervations.that ſo they may receive their praiſe again with advantage. Touching my ſelf therefore, I ſhall onelyonly ſay, that the dear reſpect which I owe and bear to the memory of this excellent man, Saint, Miniſter, Doctor William Gouge, hath made me break through the deep reſentment of my own inſufficiency to go through this work; and yet withal, that againſt this inability of mine, I have theſe three things which relieve me (and theſe I ſhould not mention to the inlarging of a Preface, which is beſt when leaſt, did they not tend to the honouring of this ſervant of Chriſt, which is one end of our meeting this day.)
1. Firſt, I look upon that as my (and not my leaſt) encouragement to this ſervice, which moſt may think my greateſt diſcouragement from undertaking it, and that is the eminent worth of this Excellent Man, whoſe Funeral this day, we celebrate; were I either to commend ſome prophane perſon, or ſome profeſſor whoſe worth and unworthineſſe did hang in aequilibrio, and appear ſo evenly ballanc'd, that none could tell which of them outweigh'd the other, I might wound my conſcience, blaſt my reputation, or (at leaſt) torture my invention, either to finde out matter of commendation, or a fit manner of expreſſing thereof. But (Brethren) I think, I have as little cauſe, as ever had any who preached in this place, upon the like occaſion, either to fear reproofs from my own heart, or my many hearers, for giving a large teſtimony to the worth of this Excellent Man, or to ſtudy ſolicitouſly for matter of praiſe, which is (as it were) Myrrha Libera, Myrrhe which drops freely of its own accord without any ſqueezing or conſtraint.
2. Lachrymae auditorum laudes miniſtrorum.It is likewiſe my encouragement, that you (my Auditors) bear a ſhare with me in this Funeral and following commendation. As the tears of a people are a Miniſters praiſe, when he himſelf preacheth in his life-time, ſo is their ſorrow for him no ſmall commendation to him when another is preaching of him after his death. I doubt not but very many in this great Aſſembly come hither, not to gaze, to ſee and be ſeen, but to mourn for the death of this eminent ſervant of Chriſt, and to ſprinkle ſome tears upon his Funeral Herſe. Confident I am, that could you turn your ſorrowful inſides, outward, (like that people who were wont to ſhew their funeral mourning onelyonly by turning the inſide of their apparel outward) that mournfulleſt expreſſions would be as common among you, as true mourning is ſuitable to you, and that Sable would as well cover the People as it doth the Pulpit. If the Angels were ſo forward to attend upon a Lazarus when he dyed, as to carry him to his place of reſt, what readineſſe ſhould there be among Lazaruſſes, full of the ſores of ſin and miſery, to reſpect the Funeral of this dead Angel? I call him Angel, for ſo he was in his life time in regard of his Office, foreign.and as an Angel now after his death, I doubt not but he is in Heaven.
3. My third encouragement is this: I am call'd this day to perform a greater Work then to praiſe him, I am to preach the Word to you. God who hath called me unto the greater, to ſpeak from himſelf to you, I truſt will enable me to perform the leſſer, I mean, the ſpeaking concerning this Reverend Man to you. I know, you long to hear what I ſhall ſay of him, and haply ſome do ſo, becauſe they would give vent to their ſorrows, though by their Eyes. I ſhall gratifie your deſire when I have firſt delivered my Errand from God to you, the ſum whereof you ſhall finde written, in