Several Works, To the Christian reader 1 – Errata

Several Works · To the Christian reader 1 – Errata

Chriſtian Reader,

MY Deſign in theſe few lines to thee, is not to commend the work that is here preſented to thy view; I ſuppoſe it will ſufficiently commend it ſelf. And if it ſhould be otherwiſe, it is not I, nor any other, who by a bare teſtimony can add to the Merit of it. For though I muſt ingenuouſly confeſs, that ſince it was left with me, I have not had time to read it exactly, nor could I keep it longer in my hands, to ſatisfie my ſelf that way, without ſome injury, having been confined in my retaining of it with me, to a certain time. Yet ſo far as I read, I have obſerved, that with much ſatisfaction to my ſelf, which I judge may be acceptable to others, both to inſtruct them, as alſo to awaken, quicken, refreſh, & comfort them; ſo that thoſe who are wiſe, and will diligently obſerve what they read, may be greatly edified thereby. My intent is rather to ſpeak of the man, (that precious ſervant of Jeſus Chriſt, Mr. Murcot, who now is taken to his reſt, in that near Communion which he enjoyes with, and in his bleſſed Head) then of any particular work of his. I firſt knew him when he lived in Wirral, near Cheſter, and there was reaſon that I ſhould be familiarly acquainted with him, at that time, both becauſe he was Preacher at a place, and alſo to a people there, to many of whom my ſelf in former times ſtood related, till the violence of the then prevailing Prelates expulſed me thence; and alſo becauſe he took to wife from among us, Mrs. Heſter Marſden, well reputed of by us, and who now ſurvives him, a ſerious Mourner, under the heavy loſs of him. He was while he lived there, the glory of that Countrey. A very quick, and lively, and powerful Preacher he was, and mighty in prayer. Eminent for piety, gravity, and holy innocency: warming and heating the hearts of the Saints by his doctrine and life; a conſiderable part whereof, he ſpent in holy Communion with them: And over-awing and ſilencing the reſt of men where he lived, by his wiſe, grave and harmleſs converſation. Dearly loved he was by ſome, and greatly reverenced by others. But in Ireland, eſpecially in the chief City thereof, Dublin, (to which place he went, when he left Wirrall, and where he ended his daies) he became like Jonah his Gourd, he ſprung up as it were in a night, his growth was wonderful in that place: he filled that City, (I may ſay in ſome ſenſe) that Land, with his ſhadow: his fame went abroad through the whole Countrey, and reached to many parts of this Nation alſo. And when the Providence of the Lord carried me over thither (which was about twelve moneths ſince, and about ſix moneths after he had finiſhed his courſe, though my ſtay there was but for a little moment, yet) I met with the ſweet ſavour of his precious name, which was like an oyntment poured forth in all places where I travelled. God was (doubtleſs) very remarkably with him, for a great work was done by him in a ſhort time, as it is clearly witneſſed by all good people that live there. He ſpake the Word of God, as one who was much with God, and indeed he had alwaies much inward cloſe Communion with God in ſecret, before he revealed any thing of him or from him openly. He ſtudied the peoples diſtempers, and found out, that formality was the great epidemical diſeaſe among profeſſors, as indeed ſo it is every where in this declining age: And he was wiſely guided in the choice of ſuch ſoul-ſearching Scriptures, by which he might then ſeparate the Sheep from the Goats, the wiſe Virgins from the fooliſh, which will be Chriſts work hereafter. In a word (for prolixity is not ſo ſuitable for one who now preſents all upon report, there being all the while he lived there, a Sea betwixt him and me) he was a moſt induſtrious vigilant Paſtor, and a moſt auſtere and ſelf-obſerving Chriſtian. And this Crown of glory the Lord put upon him, which few others have had the honour to wear; he was like a riſing Star, ever to his death in a riſing State, increaſing in ſpiritual height and ſtature every day, and grew more eminent and excellent in his gifts, graces, labours, uſefulneſs and profitableneſs continually; and he lived, not to be at a ſtay, much leſs to decline, but when he was neareſt heaven, the Lord carried him thither. He may be reckoned among the Lords Worthies, of whom the world was not worthy. The Lord hath taken him, but his remembrance will not be ſo ſoon gone. He will live while any that knew him ſhall live; and afterwards alſo, if the Lords bleſſing ſhall accompany the rehearſal of his life and death, and his Sermons Printed, in ſuch ſort as his bleſſing hath attended the paſſing and ſpending of his life, and his dying, and in the preaching of ſuch Sermons: All which were greatly ſanctified to the people that beheld and heard them. Now that it may be ſo, ſhall be the earneſt prayer of,

Thy real friend to ſerve thee in the Lord, Sam. Eaton.

Chriſtian READER.

I Never knew the Author of this Work in Perſon while he lived, but being dead, I know him by his Picture, and that the Picture of his better and more noble part. The firſt Part of this Book is formally ſo, being a very exact draft of his whole Life, and the image of his inner. Man in all the Divine Colours, Lights, Lineaments and beauties of it. Few men have found ſuch a Pen…il to draw them, and few Pencils have found ſuch a man to draw. He was but a little while in the world, but he lived long, elſe he had never yielded true Materials for ſo long a Hiſtory of his Life. The following Parts of the Book are vertually ſo, I mean the Picture of his better Part, or the image of his mind: in which, though dead, he yet ſpeaketh, and breatheth through every Page and Line, Truth and Holineſs, Zeal for God, and Compaſſion to the Souls of men, his own Taſts that the Lord is Gracious, and …is longing Deſires to make others partake of the ſame Grace, which himſelf had taſted. Read the Book, and therein you have the Soul of a faithful Miniſter of the Goſpel copied out.

It is an amazing Providence to ſee many unprofitable Drones, Idol Shepherds, blind Guides, Men whoſe Graces are not at all diſcernable in their lives, and whoſe gifts are ſapleſs, Spiritleſs, and upon the matter uſeleſs in their Miniſtery, live to old age, and wither upon the Stalk; while others of ſhining Graces, of lively Gifts, and of unwearied Induſtry in the Lords Vineyard, are cropt off in the very blooming, and as ſoon as ſhewed to the world, called out of it. But who may ſay to God, what doſt thou? He is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his Soul deſireth, even that he doth. He performeth the thing that is appointed for us, and many ſuch things are with him.

But though we have nothing to ſay to God, the moſt wiſe God, about this diſpenſation; yet this ſaith much to Man. This ſaith much to Ireland, whither God ſent this burning and ſhining light; Have not they much cauſe to conſider how they prized it, how they improved it, ſeeing God put it out ſo quickly, and gave them ſo ſhort a ſeaſon to rejoyce in it? That he preached ſo few years to them, ſhould be to them an everlaſting Sermon. And this queſtion ſhould come thick upon the heart of that Church there, which was the Candleſtick in which God placed this light; why was it ſo? why was it ſo? why hath the Lord removed our Teacher into a Corner (the very Grave) ſo that our eyes cannot ſee our Teacher (who was alſo a Paſtor after his own heart) any more? Was he enough in our hearts? or was he too much there? We may forfeit our enjoyments by too high, as well as by too low an eſteem of them; and by looking too much upon means, provoke God to hide it from us. But whatever moved the Lord to take him from you, it well becomes you to be thankful that you had him (though but for a ſhort ſeaſon) in perſon among you, and that ſo much of him (this mant le which fell from him as he was aſcending) is gathered up, and left with you and other Churches, as his Monument and Memorial for ever.

Joſeph Caryl.

Good Reader,

IT is often ſeen that good men die ſooneſt, our tranſlation to heaven is delayed only till our fitneſs to enjoy heaven, aſſoon as we are **Col. 1. 12.Col 1:12meet for that bleſſed inheritance, we are gathered in ††Iob 5. 26.Job 5:26like a ſhock of Corn in its ſeaſon: ſome ripen for heaven apace, and are taken out of the world ſooner then others, now it is pitty that all their fruit ſhould die with them; Chriſt ſaith to his Apoſtles; ‖‖Iohn 15. 16.John 15:16I have ordained you to bring forth fruit, and that your fruit ſhould remain: Intending (I ſuppoſe) not only their reward in heaven, and the continuance of Believers, begotten by them to God, who in a very commodious ſenſe are the ſurviving fruit of their labours, but alſo their Doctrine conſigned to the uſe of future ages by writing: The writings of the Apoſtles (I confeſs) are more neceſſary then thoſe of private men, as making up the Canon and rule of Faith, but yet the explications of ordinary Paſtors and Teachers have their uſe and benefit, and it is a commendable diligence in them that gather up the fragments of good men, that nothing be loſt.

It pleaſed God to call up this worthy ſervant of Jeſus Chriſt to heaven betimes, it were pitty that the Sermons coming from ſuch a warm and affectionate ſpirit, ſhould die away with the breath in which they were uttered; as his fruit remaineth (I hope) in the hearts of many that heard him, ſo is it wrapt up in theſe papers by the diligence of his ſurviving friends, to preſerve it from periſhing and forgetfulneſs.

Its an happineſs, though not to be hoped for, yet to be wiſhed for, that none would write in this publick way, but very holy, or very learned men, who either from their profounder knowledge of the myſteries of godlineſs, or inward acquaintance with the workings of the Spirit, are moſt likely to improve or keep alive the Doctrine of God in the Chriſtian world; this worthy inſtrument thou wilt find to be a man by no means of diſpicable abilities, but chiefly excelling in a gracious heart, and much inward experience in the things of God; and though deep ſpeculations, and luſcious language is not here to be expected, yet many wholſom and heartwarming truths, delivered in a grave and unaffected ſtile, which (if my hopes deceive me not) will be of great uſe to quicken this dull and carnal age to a greater ſtudy and vigour of holineſs; and therefore (being deſired) I could not but recommend theſe Sermons, to thy beſt acceptance; I am.

Covent-Garden, this 19. of Jan. 1656. Thine in the Lords work, Tho. Manton.

De. Authore.

foreign

foreign.

foreign

foreign.

foreign,

foreign.

foreign,

foreign.

Per Tho. Gloverum, Warwicenſis Scholae Ludimagiſtrum.

De Eodem.

FAllor? an ipſe tuo Murcotte per omnia vives

Saecula, cum terris corpus inane jacet?

Dignus es aeterna, qui, laude, feraris ad aſtra,

Cui novi terras vix peperiſſe parem.

Mortuus es Murcotte, at ſaeva morte triumphas,

Quem non Lethaeis ſors dare quivit aquis.

Membra licet jaceant triſti reſupina ſepulchro,

Facta tamen nolunt ſaecula ſera mori.

Per Eundem.

CHriſtian come hither, read, and reading mind,

And thou ſhalt here, a Directory find.

A light indeed, but borrowed from heaven,

Which will direct to keep thy foot-ſteps even.

Whileſt that a darkſom wilderneſs we tread,

The fiery Pillar, will us ſafely lead.

See, here's a Pillar, on which who caſts his ſight,

Shall ſee a flame, out-ſhining all falſe light.

Through which, maugre the ſpight of mankinds foe,

He ſhall to the coeleſtial Canaan go:

Where that Star ſhines now in perfection,

Which ſparkled here for Saints direction.

per me, Tho. Glover Warwicenſis Scholae, Ludimagiſtrum.

The Table of the Scriptures opened and explained in this Volumn.

The Errata's following begins at The Parable of the ten Virgins. PAge 2. line. 30. blot out not; p. 3. l. 29 for faſt you, read, as faſt as you; p. 29. l. laſt, for her own, r. our own; p. 71. l. 9. blot our for; p. 75. l. 22. for we chooſe, r. will chooſe; p. 87. l. 5. for to fit looſe, r. to fit looſe; p. 105. l. 10. for bidden arts, r. hidden parts; p. 106. l. 23. for fall, r. fill; p. 115. l. 12. for All proreſſions, r. All proceſſions; p. 117. l. 13. for widows caſe, r. widows cruſe; p. 126. l. 34. blot out thou; p. 165. l. 3. blot out and; p. 188. l. 37. for he aſleep, r. be aſleep; p. 225. l. 17. for i… is, r. is it; p. 561. l. 29. for decy, r. decay; p. 428. l. 7. for Maditation, r. Moditation; p. 609. l. 32. for though be, r… though he.

MOSES IN THE MOUNT: OR, The beloved Diſciple leaning on Ieſus, S boſom.

Being a Narrative of the Life and Death of Mr. John Murcot, Miniſter of the Goſpel, and Teacher of the Church at Dublin.

Written by a Friend.

Prov. 7. 10. The memory of the juſt is bleſſed.

LONDON, Printed by Robert White, for Francis Tyton, at the three Daggers in Fleet-ſtreet, near the Inner-Temple Gate. 1657.