Name is a very Death only that it continues longer is more vexatious and tormenting then Death it self Born indeed we are but unto trouble Job 5. 7. as the sparks fly upward Cares and fears tears and temptations doubts and disappointments distract the mind whilst the body which partakes in those agonies of the soul is also miserably subjected to racks and tortures of its own to pains and diseases that would be desperate and insupportable were they not as it were the earnest and Harbingers of Death which puts an end to all those tragical miseries of life And is not this a goodly thing for men to be so fond of as generally they are that is it self so great a disease that nothing but death can cure That therefore is often call'd for even by those who yet are much unprepar'd for such a remedy But how welcome then are or ought to be the approaches of Death stingless Such it is to those that die the death of the righteous as they all do to be sure that have liv'd their life which was well known and consider'd by the Holy Prelate whom I now commemorate Conscious to himself of a race happily run of talents well improv'd and a fight well fought with a clear conscience and an undisturb'd mind in a well grounded reliance on the Mercies and Merits of his Redeemer the Holy Man like just and devout Simeon or this very Elias in the Text humbly pray'd for his departure in my hearing as I kneeled by him tho' as I have reason to believe against his will as well as without his knowledge For He seem'd to mind nothing but his God his eyes then shut and his words whisper'd tho' both before and after he spoke strongly and aloud It was the only Prayer I ever heard him make to which I could not heartily say Amen I could have wished that He should still have walked before the Lord in the Land of the Living and therefore must confess was afraid He would be heard and that God would not deny him the request of his lips but would bestow Death upon him so pressing and importunate was his Prayer for He seemed to groan earnestly like St Paul 2 Cor. 5. 2. to have that his earthly Tabernacle dissolv'd and to be cloth'd upon with his house from heaven And yet were those breathings of his soul sent up to Heaven with that same Christian resignation and submission to the Divine will which so qualifies and recommends a Good mans Prayers that they cannot fail of a favourable audience and success Thus He whose Conversation had been so much in Heaven even whilst Himself was on Earth did in heart and mind thither ascend even before his soul could get loose from the troublesome embraces of the body And thus like Elijah He was not only carried but went up to Heaven That Holy Prophet gladly mounted up into his Heavenly Chariot leaving most willingly Elisha and the world below The whirlwind it self was not in more haste then He the Chariot and Horses and Fire could not move quicker and fly swifter then did his own ardent desires toward his everlasting bliss So did our dying Bishop joyfully part with all that He valued here on Earth and in a chariot of fire mounted unto the Heavens if I may be allowed so to stile the Feavour that snatch'd him from us But if that may seem too remote a Metaphor I know I can truly say that his soul still soared higher and higher in raptures of fervent and devout desires of being dissolv'd and being with God his exceeding great Reward This indeed was most like the fire in which Elijah ascended unto Heaven A fire that needed no fewel but the devout mind that kindled it A fire that burn't but consumed not Such a fire as warms and heats the Holy Angels themselves and kindles those Divine Ministers into a flaming fire And perhaps They were the Chariot and the Horses in the Text. Prompt and ready they are to execute all the commands of their great Maker and most cheerfully do those Triumphant spirits of Heaven fly down to succour and assist Holy men on Earth and promote the happiness of Militant Saints But Angels or clouds or whatever it was fiery it did appear a fit embleme of that Heroick Zeal that did so illustriously discover it self and shine forth in the life of that great Prophet A zeal for the honour of him that sent him like that which afterwards in a more Divine manner appear'd in our blessed Saviour of whom Elias himself was a type and in some sence a forerunner as well as the Baptist who came in his Spirit and Power A zeal it was that even consum'd him stuck nearer and closer to him then any earthly concern of his own A zeal that He durst own and stand to before the Searcher and Judge of hearts 1 Kings 19. 10 14. I have been very jealous saith He more then once for the Lord God of Hosts It vex'd his righteous soul to see the Apostacy of a whole nation as He reckon'd from God and all goodness The children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets with the sword the desolation of the Church lay heavy on the Good man's heart For Ahab walked in the sins of Jeroboam 1 Kings 12. 28 c. who for fear the heart of the people should turn again to their Lord the king of Judah that he might secure his usurpation and establish himself thought it necessary to invade the Religion as well as the Government of the Nation And so he sets up Gods of his own and made Priests of the lowest of the people such as were not of the sons of Levi and therefore having no lawfull Ordination uncapable to succeed in the holy Function Verse 33. and he ordained Feasts and made Sacrifices according to his own fancy even as he had devised in his own heart Ecclus 48. 1. Then stood up Elias the prophet as fire and his word burnt like a lamp as it is express'd by the son of Sirach Even then when there was not a man on Earth to second him did he couragiously keep his ground assert the Church and its cause and made stout and vehement protestations against the Schism and all their unreasonable and irreligious Innovations Full of God and the Commission that He had from Him He put himself in the gap withstood the torrent of Apostacy that had overrun the land boldly rebuk'd vice and called often and aloud both to Prince and People to return to God and his Holy Church The haughty and bloody Jezebel with all her cruel instruments and the many hundred Prophets of Baal and of the groves that did eat at her table could not persuade or fright him from his integrity still the holy fire was kept alive in his religious breast and flam'd brightly out on all occasions into acts of devotion and zealous undertakings for the
the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him But how very effectual the fervent prayers of such men sometimes are appears sufficiently from the instance here before us of the great Elijah singled out by St James for the same purpose and alledged soon after the words already cited James 5. 17. He I say who tho a man subject to like passions as we are opened and shut the Heavens at his pleasure kept up the dew and rain but brought down showres of fire so that all things hapned according to his word 1 Kings 17. 1. The Ministers of Gods holy Word and Sacraments in respect of one part of their Function are Gods Ambassadours to the people but in this of prayer they are their Agents and Solicitours with God constituted by himself as a sort of Mediatours for and amongst men Masters of Requests resident on Earth appointed to present and offer up the petitions of the people to and in the name of the one great Mediatour between God and Man 1 Tim. 2. 5. And to him those addresses cannot but be the more acceptable as coming in his own Method and way and thro' those hands to which he has committed so great a power as to bind and loose in Heaven and on Earth a power not vouchsafed as St Chrysostom somewhere expresseth it either to Angels or Arch-Angels or any other of the most glorified favourites of Heaven If then persons set aside and consecrated for the service of God and his Church be ordinarily acceptable and powerfull Intercessours how much does this Church and Nation and indeed the whole Christian world owe to the pious Devotions of the Holy Prelate of whom we are now speaking Twice a day most duly besides his family Prayers He offer'd up to Heaven either in the Publick Congregation or when his health could not allow that more privately his daily Homage and Sacrifice of Morning and Evening Prayer and Thanksgiving according to the Prescript of the Church of England He that had so throughly studied and did so perfectly understand the Beauties and Excellencies of the English Liturgy and so frequently and affectionately recommended the conscientious and devout use of it to all both Clergy and others and had himself received great Spiritual Comfort and Advantages by a long and Religious attendance on it He I say as you will easily believe could not allow himself in the least neglect of it but went to it and called for it as his daily bread the necessary food and refreshment of his soul I need not tell this Congregation I am sure how Solemn and Reverend his approaches were to this Sacred place how Holy and Saint-like his behaviour here Almost every thing that Good man did or said was edifying and instructive but nothing could well be more so then his devout deportment when he had audience with his God The Faith and Fervency the Humble yet Restless and Irresistible importunity of his Spirit strugling and contending with God in Prayer could not be conceal'd from those that saw him but flam'd up from his heart into his eyes and discover'd it self by so many natural indications of Holy and transported Affections that the Example was enough to rouze and warm the most sluggish and frozen Devotion of any that did observe him It is no wonder that his devout Soul found so Divine a rellish in those Prayers to which He attended with so much Reverence and Religion The Prayers of the Church are a dead letter to none but such as bring dead hearts to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disc 16. as our Martyr'd Sovereign observed long since And I dare say that all that use them unless the blessed effect be hindred by prejudice or prophaness do experience that those united and well advised Devotions are most excellently contriv'd to kindle and keep alive in us such pious dispositions of mind as are most suitable to that duty I shall not presume to conduct you from the Church to the Good mans Closet or pretend to reckon how often in a day He was upon his knees He that did nothing for ostentation and understood so well the Reward reserv'd for good things done in secret knew how to conceal those Addresses from the eyes of man which He intended only for the notice of his God But his constant and steddy Practice of all Christian duties the general Holiness of his Life the visible delight He took in Prayer that great Priviledge as well as Duty of mankind besides other Evidences that could not always be kept from the observation of those that had the honour and happiness to be near him serve to assure us that He watch'd unto Prayer pray'd always without ceasing and at all seasons according to a due understanding of those expressions in Holy Writ It was to him a pleasant performance of which He could not be weary What a Benefactour I say then was He to this Church and State which had so great a share in his publick and private Petitions sent up to a Gracious God with such an unfeigned Piety and ardent Zeal Luke 18. 1. Shall not God hear his servants that cry day and night unto him He that ask'd such a question when He was on Earth will be sure to answer such prayers now he is in Heaven And then I am sure the publick has received manifold advantage from the Bishop's earnest supplications put up in the behalf of the whole Kingdom The interest of which was as dear to him as his own Soul and for which He was almost hourly breathing out fervent ejaculations Rev. 5. 8. and night and day praying exceedingly The prayers of Saints we are told are as golden vials full of odours and those odours are sacrifices of sweet savour unto the God of Heaven Such Sacrifices of Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks was this Holy Prelate almost constantly offering up unto Almighty God for the King and all in Authority for the Holy Catholick Church and for all Men. Three most signal Favours and Blessings on this Land within our memories I have often heard his Lordship mention with most feeling and affectionate expressions of Religious Gratitude and Joy The first was that Abundance of Heavenly Graces which adorn'd the Person of our late Martyr'd Sovereign and those particularly which did so Gloriously shine forth in him under the most barbarous indignities and bloody violence offer'd him by the Rebels Another was that stupendous revolution of Affairs brought about by the miraculous Providence of God in the Restitution of His present Majesty and the Church in Honour and Peace to the astonishment and confusion of the Adversaries of them Both. The Third was the wonderfull disappointment and most happy Discovery of the late Fanatical and Republican Conspiracy against the Life of His Sacred Majesty and His Royal Brother And to these He added that more Publick and General Mercy of God in appearing so seasonably and so mightily for the
would have done But I must hasten to an end As for his Common converse it was pleasant affable and courteous and yet still grave and highly becoming his Sacred Character That doubtfulness and fear which his Venerable Presence his high Station and Quality together with his great and just Renown did frequently produce in strangers at their first approach was by the easiness of the access they met with by his humble and courteous deportment and all-obliging affability and condescension soon converted into perfect Delight and Love So sweet and heavenly a temperament there was in him of Greatness and Goodness of Meekness and Majesty of Gravity and Courtesie of every thing indeed that is amiable and Reverend that it was impossible to know him well and not to Honour and Delight in him Something like this has perhaps been fancied in many but the whole Character was hardly ever more truly applied to any then to this Bishop If ever that which we call Good nature did abound in any man it did in him but so refin'd beautified and set off by Religion that surely it scarce ever shin'd with more lustre and loveliness in any then in our Prelate Even they that went from him disappointed of their hopes which none did that had not unreasonably entertain'd them could never find in their hearts to be displeas'd with him So much reason did He always give for his denial such kind pains would He take to satisfie the Petitioner tho' He could not grant his request so loath was He to dismiss him from his presence till He had scatter'd all signs of discontent if any did arise from his countenance That it was evident the Good Prelate was more troubled that He could not give then the other that he did not receive The subject of his discourse as far as Decenty and Company would allow was generally about matters of Religion and Learning It was his great business to be doing or receiving good considering that so employed He was most acceptable to that One Master whose service He had chosen He gladly put all that came near him upon discourses of things of which they were most likely and able to give the best account which was the most probable way to oblige them and benefit himself Tho' for the most part Those who He seem'd to hear and confer with for his own instruction He really taught and sent away better informed in the very things wherein they thought themselves to excell Never was that Apostolical qualification of a Bishop's being apt to teach more eminently present then in him Whether we consider the word as it signifies ability or else inclination to instruct and edifie others Of the first I have discoursed already The other is as famously known as that Some greatly Learned men have been noted to be very reserv'd in conversation as if they envy'd or grudg'd the world or at least their company the riches of their discourse That they could seldom be perswaded to deliver their judgements or that when they did it was in so dark and perplex't a manner that it edified but little Much further were they from freely giving the reasons of their opinion and submitting them to the debate and examination of others But it was quite otherwise with the Bishop He was as an open fountain free plentifull and communicative Always asking and answering questions in all parts of Learning but especially such as might conduce to the clearing of obscure places of Scripture or the confirming some Doctrine or Article of Faith or some other Theological Verity For that was the end of all his Studies To this He directed all his endeavours and well understood how to keep and use other Arts and Soiences in due subordination and subserviency to the study of Divine matters to the knowledge of God and his own duty for which He knew He was born and which He desir'd and valued above all other acquisitions in the world This eager bent of his heart fram'd and season'd all his conversation giving it the tincture of his inward thoughts so that it plainly appear'd out of what abundance it was that his mouth spake In my Text it is observ'd that the chariot and horses of fire appear'd whilst the two Prophets walk'd and talk'd together Some will be guessing at the particulars of their discourse But whether we consider the men the occasion or that part of the conference which is recorded we have reason to conclude that it was all holy and good relating either to Gods honour on Earth or the now approaching felicity of Elijah in a better place But sure I am that our Holy Prelate was almost constantly speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God It was the language of his Life and Health of his hail and Youthfull days as well as of his Old Age and the bed of sickness and death And truly in all other Religious respects as well as this his Death was but like his Life his latter end exactly conformable to his more early days I could not observe of him as Pliny from his friend Nuper me cujusdam amici languor admonuit optimos esse nos dum infirmi sumus Plin. Ep. 26. lib. 7. did of all men that He was best in sickness A pious disposition of mind express'd by a constant uniform Tenour of Holy and Devout Practice had been very visible through the whole course of his Life and it accompanied him to the last He had no new promises and professions of Reformation to make Tales esse sani perseveremus quales nos futuros profitemur infirmi ibid. as the same Authour in that same Epistle intimates and common experience shews to be the custom of men on the bed of sickness He had liv'd so as He would be contented to die and all the usual or necessary business of the sick bed Repentance Mortification and Holy Vows had been the happy Work of his strongest and healthfull days By a Religious use of those frequent Communions which to his everlasting Praise this Holy Bishop establish'd or practis'd weekly in all places where He liv'd and which were subject to his Jurisdiction He had nourish'd and encreas'd in his Bosome a watchfull and wary disposition of mind that kept him perpetually upon his Guard his Saviours Death and his own being always so before his eyes that He could not easily be surpriz'd by the most hasty summons to leave the world Indeed his whole Life was in a manner a perpetual Fast and Mortification and so a good preparation for Death Plenty of all things flowed round about him but for the use of others rather then himself His study and his business was his meat and drink for of any other He had as little regard and made as little use as was well possible to flesh and blood He that had writ so irrefragably for the Fasts of the Church kept them as rigidly himself But that suffic'd him not He oblig'd himself to so