Dragon but by the hand of death did I say he fell no no he rose higher and is now in the highest with the highest This Star is removed into another Orb His Mantle of flesh he dropt and left behind but his Spirit mounted and returned to God that gave it And Si verbis audacia detur give me leave to saâ— a great man is fall'n in London His work was done and his dear Master would not permit his stay after it but took him home and gave him his Crown Hear a little my Brethren of those precious sayings which fâ—owed from him abundantly that Night before a full surrender was made What he spake was taken by the Pen of a ready Writer Out of that large Garden I have pickt some few flowers which I thus make up and present unto you He had his light of comfort in that day of trouble though not a bright Sun-shine yet under the thickest Cloud he could see grace in his Heart and read his Evidence These words assure us of that Dear Iesus dost not thou know that I love thee though not with that activity which others do yet with truth of love Oh! thou knowest that I love thee and wilt not thou love me and manifest thy self to me Lord thou knowest the bent of my heart was toward thy self thou knowest I laid up my treasure with thee and made choice of Heaven for mine Inheritance thou wilâ— not forget it nâ—w He had his experiences ready to produce as Cordials to himself and Arguments with his God will you hear them Oh dear Iesus a glimpse of the light of thy Countenance is worth an age of pains and prayers I have had formerly not only tasts but large draughts sometimes Ah my dear Father thou hast given me sweet encouragement in waiting upon thee and of late thou hast not wholly turned thy back Oh my dear Iesus didst thou not manifest thy self to me at the Sacrament when I was so very weak didst not thou give me some tasts that thou art gracious and that thou didst love me in particular and that thou wouldest never leave nor forsake me nor suffer me to depart from thee is this so long a time ago He had high thoughts of God when he was at the lowest he justified him and that in this very Lauguage O my Lord I will not complain of thee though I must complain to thee I complain of my self but not of thee I have deserved thou shouldest let me die in a Cloud and though I do I doubt not but I shall be happy He could with a composed Spirit take his leavâ— and shake hands with all His expressions were these Farewell the world the pleasures profits and honours of the world farewell sin I shall ever be with the Lord. Farewell my dear Wife farewell my dear Children farewell my Servants and farewell you my Spiritual Children whom he was at leisure thus to advise be careful in your choice of a Pastor choose one who in his Doctrine life and manners may adorn the Gospel I shall be glad to meet you all in Heaven This spake a calm within a sedate frame of Spirit He could welcome death observe how his words were dipt in oyl when its hands were to be imbrewed in his blood Oh noble Death welcome welcome Would you know how this came to pass these words tell you Death hath wounded my head death hath wounded my breast which was full of pimples but he hath not wounded my conscience blessed be God He could with importunity call for Death Hasten hasten oh hasten Death where is thy bow where thine arrows come come come I am yet in the body I am yet on earth but it is Heaven Heaven Heaven I would fain be at I seek death but 〈◊〉 find it How long O Lord holy and true He would scarce be reconciled to the means of rebuking his disease and prolonging his 〈…〉 was conscience of duty that put him upon use of them That learned and excellent Physitian who applied to him in his sickness and whose heart was set upon his recovery though he much question'd it told me he said to him why do you come to keep mâ— out of Heaven Hâ— could play with Death thus Praythee take possâ—ssion of my Body see whaâ— thou wilt get by it fatten thy Grave with thy Sacrifices He had high and admiring thoughts of Jesus Christ read them thus Oh dear Iesus what or who art thou Oh! that glorious Spirit that laid â—he foundations of the Earth and stretched out the Heavens like a Curtain Oh what an excellent person aâ—t thou oh what an excellent person art thou thou art all lovely in every part from the Crown of the head to the Soal of the foot thou art all love all excellent thy bounty is divine thy love is divine thy beauty is divine He was not satisfied with what he had of Christ. Observe how desires flam'd Dear Iesus dear sweet Iesus come unto me and manifest thy self unto me that others may see and know that thou lovest me Now if ever now now now if ever now if ever O dear Iesus I am going out of the body to be with thee to deal only with Spirits Oh that I might have the light of thy countenance the sense of thy loâ—e oh bome unto me I see but a little of thy beauty and excellency oh that I might see more and taste more and enjoy more that I may have more than ever I had and â—ast more than ever I did And he longed to be with Jesus was in a kind of holy impatience sick of love and desires to delight himself in clear vision and full fruition of him Witness these groans Dear Iesus come and take me away I have no business hear my work is done my glass is run my strength is gone and when my work is done why shall I stay behind Oh come come be as a Roe upon the Mountains of spices How long shall I wait and cry how long shall I be absent from thee And again O come and take me to thy self and give me possession of that happiness which is above the vision of thy self perfect likeness to thy self full fruition of thy self without any interruption or conclusioâ— And yet again O come deâ—r Lord Iesus how long before thou â—end thy Chariots O come thou down to me and take me up to thee Having â—ain some time silent and still a Friend desired him to give him his hand if the clouds were scattered whereupon he reached out his hand and said as those present understood him I am upheld in the Arms of a Mediator Thus died this precious Saint this eminent Minister thus he lived and thus he died Let him never be forgotten he shall not he cannot be forgotten And let us who survive be followers of him and others who serv'd and walked with Christ on earth and now sit and reign with Christ in glory FINIS
VINCENTIUS REDIVIVUS A Funeral Sermon Preached Octob. 27. 1678. Upon Occasion of the much bewailed Death of that Reverend and Eminent Servant of CHRIST Mr. THOMAS VINCENT Formerly Preacher at Maâ—dlins Milk-street London By SAMUEL SLATER an unworthy Servant of Christ in the Gospel Psal. 112. 6. The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance Quae caecitas animi quaeve dementia est amare pressuras poenas lachrymas mundi non festinare potius ad gaudium quod nunquam possit auferri Arnob. LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst and T. Cockerill at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel and at the three Legs in the Poultrey over-against the Stocks Market 1679. To my Honoured Friends Mrs. Mary Vincent and that Flock of Christ over which thâ— Holy Ghost had made dear Mr. Thomaâ— Vincent Overseer AT your request this Sermon was Preached and is now published Such as it is you arâ— welcome to it and much good may it do you 〈◊〉 the Lord grant all those may meet with 〈◊〉 blessing in it who shall read it out of a real desire to geâ—â— good for their souls other Readers we care for none 〈◊〉 take your invitation of me to this work as an evidenâ— token of that love and esteem you have for me howeveâ— unworthy Therefore I did not draw back but humblâ—â— bless God for the assistance he hath afforded me in it 〈◊〉 all you find here according to his Will came from hiâ— Spirit I would be very very low in mine own eyes yet I do neither dread the censures of men nor am I 〈◊〉 vain as to court their applause by making Apologies What I have here presented you with are the Truths oâ— God which deserve your acceptance I desire you to trâ—â— them and having seen their Fathers name in their foreâ— head give them a ready admission a most friendlâ— and honourable entertainment I shall speak nothing 〈◊〉 you here by way of advice having said so much in thâ— Sermon but only signifie to you that you are much upo◠〈◊〉 heart and in my prayers I will not be unmindful you at the Throne of Grace but speak many a good â—â—rd for you the Lord comfort your hearts and sanâ—â—ifie to you his hand that out of the eater may come â—eat out of this Providence which hath removed your â—everend Pastor specialâ— advantage may come to your â—â—ls the Lord send you another undâ—r whose shadow 〈◊〉 may sit with delight finding his fruit sweet to your â—â—ste the Lord supply all your need according to his â—â—ches in glory by Iesus Christ. My dear Friends wisely â—â—d graciously improve this dispensation submit to the â—â—od pleasure of a taking God be much in the study of â—ur hearts and ways be you sincere and thriving Chriâ—â—ians And the Father of mercies bind you up in the â—â—ndle of life and grant you a glorious Inheritance aâ—â—ong them that are sanctified by faith in Christ so â—â—ayes Your Friend and Servant in our dear Lord Jesus Samuel Slater â—ctob 29. â—1678 Hebr. XIII 7. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken to you the Word of God whose saith follow considering the end of their conversation THIS excellent Epistle is not without good reason reckoned to Paul as its Author the great Apostle of the Gentiles who having obtained mercy burned with zeal for God and had such yearning bowels over the blind unbelieving obstinate Iews his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh that for their sakes he could have found in his heart to wish himself accursed from Christ Rom 9. 3. which was a rapture of love a pang of affection highly becoming him who was a brand plucked out of the burning and of a chief sinner made an eminent Saint of a cruel furious persecutor a blessed and most successful Apostle unto these Iews he wrote this Epistle and for weighty reasons without doubt concealed his Name Herein he made it his business so to set forth the Lord Jesus and commend him to them as that they might receive him with all acceptation as the promised Messiah and High-Priest over the house of God and persevere in faith and obedience to him and likewise to lay down such rules for their lives and carriages in the world as that by an holy and exemplary conversation they might honour his Name and adorn his Gospel The Union between Faith and Holiness is so strict that they never were nor can be separated and it is pity they should being most amiable in conjunction Faith giving encouragement unto holiness and holiness reflecting a glory upon faith Several precious Commands or Exhortations you meet with in this Chapter which though primarily ordered out to the Hebrews do remain a burden upon all persons in all Ages who profess themselves Christians unto them it is our duty to attend and according to them to walk The Text is a fruitful Bough consisting of three Branches 1. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God 2. Follow their faith 3. Consider the end of their conversation Or if you please you have here a double duty enjoyned Remember them that have spoken to you the word of God and follow their faith and you have a choice means prescribed for the commending those duties to you and encouraging you in their performance Consider the end of their conversation Of all these I shall God willing speak in the prosecution of this Doctrine Doct. There is much duty incumbent upon people upon the account of their deceased Pastors When Ministers dye their work is done they have finished their course and dispatched the business given them to do they did shine among you in Purity of Doctrine and Holiness of Conversation as long as the Lamp of life lasted when the oyl of that was spent they were taken up to Heaven there to out-shine the Sun in his greatest strength and glory But your work is not then at an end being of equal extent and duration with your lives As you have time enough for your work so have you work enough for your time none can say he sate idle one hour because he had nothing to do put forth all your strength use your utmost diligence husband your days and minutes to the best advantage you will be happy men and women you will have cause eternally to bless the hand above that help't you if you can do your work by that time death shall come to take you off I am not now to speak concerning the whole duty of man but those particular duties mentioned in the Text relating to those servants of Christ who have laboured among you one of which is remembrance Remember them who have the rule over yoâ—r In which word two things must be considered 1. The Act Remember 2. The Object about which that act is to be exercised Them which have the rule over you I shall begin with the Object those which have
this is the way to glorifie your God to honour your Religion to credit your Pastors In this way you shall be their comfort while they live their Crown when they are dead yea their joy and rejoycing in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming The exemplariness of your carriages is the best commendation of the Ministers you have and of the Sermons you hear whereas when you walk disorderly and as Enemies to the Cross of Christ you are our shame and reproach spots in our Assemblies goads in our sides and burdens upon our spirits Let no man nor woman tell others they sit under my Ministry unless they resolve by the grace of God to depart from iniquity 2. Follow them in their Love True faith works love and by it it kindles a pure flame of love and then makes use thereof for the promoting and furtherance of all duty Have you not taken notice of your Pastors love What did they think too much to do for you They have hazarded their liberty and spent their strength and broken their rest and wasted their lungs for you They mourned under the untractableness of some and were humbled for the unreformedness of others who had sinned and had not repented they longed for your Conversion to God and progress in Religion and growth in grace They had no greater joy than to see you walking in the truth Oh! how did they prize God and Christ and you how did they rejoyce in their work though hard yet sweet how welcome was a Sabbath upon which they might draw their breasts for your consolation and open their treasures for your inriching imitate you them in their love give the best the flower the quintessence of it unto God Erect in your hearts a Throne for Christ love him as well as you can and then mourn because you love him so little and always pray that you may love him more Love one another dearly for you are brethren and so fulfil the law of Christ and prove your selves his Disciples Have an universal love for all the Saints all in whom you can see aliquid Christi any thing of Christ yea so love all men as to wish their good and to do them all the good you can even your Enemies your Persecutors those that hate you do you hate their sins and wicked ways but love their persons and pray for their conversion and salvation 3. Follow them in their Joy You read of the joy of faith and of the Saints rejoycing in believing with joy unspeakable and full of glory Certainly it is a duty incumbent upon all the Saints to rejoyce in the Lord and that evermore and call to remembrance the times that are past Have you not seen the faith of your Pastors budding and blossoming with joy when you have been sinking and days have been dark and fears many Have you not seen a smile upon their brow even then when there was a Cloud upon their tabernacle You have indeed been acquainted with their sorrows and their tears because men hated to be reformed would not keep Gods Law but dishonoured his Name and opposed his Gospel and would break his bands asunder and cast away his cords from them but you have also been privy to and witnesses of their joys follow them in this Let them that are of a fearful heart be strong be you of a cheerful spirit and let your brethren and others see you are so You have O Saints matter of rejoycing in your worst conditions nay let me say this You have much more matter of rejoycing than you now have or ever shall have of sorrow and disquiet For if you be really what you profess your selves to be God is the cause and matter of your rejoycing it is he that is your comfort and your glory Psal. 43. 4. I will go saith that sweet singer of Israel unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding joy or as the margin tells you it is in the Hebrew unto God the gladness of my joy Now I beseech you if you can tell me What can possibly be I ask you again what can possibly be so great a cause of sadness and sorrow as your God is of joy and rejoycing Thou O poor drooping soul thinkest thou hast a great many sins in thy heart and the Church of Christ hath a great many dangers at this day in poor England City and Country is full of them and doubtless all this is very true too too true the good Lord help us Yet know God is above them all and greater than them all He is greater than all thy sins and so can both pardon and subdue them He is greater than all his Churches enemies and so can either reconcile and change them if he pleases or curb and conquer them As he is greater than all our dangers and so can easily obviate and prevent them He can with a word command deliverance and create peace and place a defence upon and about all our glory You have my Brethren at all times in the very worst times more cause of joy in God than you can have of sorrow and discouragement in any thing nay in all things This made the holy Prophet take up that brave resolution Hab. 3. 17 18. To rejoyce in the Lord and to joy in the God of his salvation though there should be a famine in the world and the staff of creature-comforts should be broken to pieces though earth should sink under him yet he would by faith hang upon a God above him and as long as he had a God above to live upon his joy should live and flourish He knew not only how to make a meal but how to feast it upon God alone Thus have I at large set before you that duty which is incumbent upon you in reference to your deceased Pastors who have Preached to you the Word of God it lieth in these two things Remember them Follow their faith Now I come to the last clause in the Text which you may look upon either as a third duty or an excellent means for the commending of the two former and facilitating them unto you and that you have in these words Considering the end of their conversation Here again you have the Act Considering and the Object The end of their conversation I will begin with the former Considering We ought to be a considering people it would be our safety our honour our comfort and advantage every way as I could easily shew you We should sin less if we would consider more Most if not all our sins come in at this door want of consideration Men do not consider their ways lead directly to Hell going down to the Chambers of Death and therefore they go on in them They do not look into the state of their souls nor consider how affairs stand with them and so when they should mourn and weep they live jovally and frolick their days away dancing and roaring upon the very brink
and everlastingly obliged And such injustice will cost them dear that are guilty of it Labour we to make men and women â—ound Believers Shew them the insufficiency of all they do to justifie them that they may never with the besotted Iews go about to establish their own righteousness but submit to the righteousness of God and by Faith put on that perfect spotless Robe which our dear Jesus hath wrought for humbled sinners It is that and that alone that can cover all our shame and adorn our persons and make our beauty perfect and us lovely in the sight of God Teach them to look after the inward glory which the King's Daughter had Psal. 45. 13. but withall to put on this clothing of wrought gold And let us also live up to the Laws of our Religion Away with covetousness and debauchery Away with envy malice and contention Let not the noise of Axes and Hammers and evil Tongues be heard among us Verily these things will not be for our honour Bespattering one another is not a likely way to beautifie our selves it is a diâ—ty trick and some of that dirt which you throw upon others will fly back upon your selves or if not the same yet some as bad This very work defiâ—es you That person hath no love in the family who is of a cross sâ—irit and delights in abusing Walk holily and humbly and in love Let not head-divisions cause heart-divisions Hatred variance â—mularions wrath sâ—rise envyings are works of the flâ—sh as well as seditions and 〈◊〉 These gratifie the Devil and please Papists but offend God and dishonour you Let all of us that fear God and love godliness keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace for we are Brethren We see the common Adversary is at work to ruine and destroy us all let not us strengthen his hands for it by weakening our own and devouring one another Vse 2. I would exhort you that are the People to remember your deceased Pastors and follow their Faith And in particular do you set upon these duties my dear friends who are the Members of this Congregation who sate under and rejoyced in the Light and Labours of my dearest Brother your late Reveâ—end Pastor Mr. Tâ—omas Vincent Concerning whom much very much may be said in his high and just commendation My acquaintance with him hath been short not full three years so that I cannot look back so far nor inlarge so much upon this noble and copious Subject as some of my worthy Brethren could have done had you pleased to have invited one of them to this service Blessed be God there is no need of many words for his works praise him in our Gates they will â—peak though I should be silent But I know you do expect something from me which you may please to take thus Reverend Mr. Thomas Vincâ—nt was a man really set for God having chosen him for his portion and for his Lord too He was devoâ—ed to his fear and honour and delighted greatly in communion with him him he served with his spirit in the Gospel of his Son Prayer was his daily work and great delight he was much at it mighty in it and successful too Many a gracious answer was given him from Heaven This wrestling Iacob was a prevailing Isâ—aâ—l a Prince with God He was a painful and industâ—uous Labourer in God's Vineyard laying out himself to the utmost for his peoples good Oh! how great was his zeal in the Pulpit what his hand found to do there he did it with all his might You his Auditors could not but conclude his Heart was in his work He put up his requests to God and delivered his messages to you with inlargedness of soul and in the sweat of his brows I can assure the world he was none of those idle drones those â—lothful servants who did the work of their Lord negligently He stayed with you here in the time of thâ—t noisom and greedy Pestilence which raged so furiously and devoured so hastily and numbred out many thousands and ten thousands to the Grave when others fled for their lives he kept his station all the while knowing he could not go out of Gods reach the arm of omnipotency could so bend his bow and draw his arrow to the head that it should flie as far as he could run He knew his duty and his safety lay together He was however freely willing to venture his life for the salvation of sâ—uls He was sound in his judgment and turned not aside to any errours upon the right hand or the left Hâ—s Doctrine speak his faith in Chriâ—t and both thâ—t and his life exprest his lovâ— to Mâ—râ—liâ—y and Piety I will tell you one passage which came from him about three or four daies before his death Asking him how it was within He answered me very well adding withal Blessed be God for an imputed Righteousness and blessed be God for an inherent Righteousness Dear Brother I must tell you if I had not an inherent Righteousness I could take no comfort from an imputed Righteousness He was of an unblameable Conversation I never heard of one dead flie in his Box of Ointment Did I say he was of an unblameable Conversation it was too little a word too short by much He was of an exemplary Conversation He reduced precepts into practice and was not only in his Doctrine but in his way too a shining light He was a sweet Companion Ah! my dear Brother how pleasant how very pleasant wast thou unto me Grace was poured into his lips and they dropt as an hony-comb I was beholding to him for frequent visits And though sometimes my own occasions were very pressing and urgent yet was his company never burdensom for he still detained me from business with delights and sweetnesses And if at any time I was not a gainer by his company it was mine own fault He was a warm Christian and carried up and down with him a heavenly fire a Divine heat both in his heart and his discourses Some opposition he met with in his work and discouragements yet he was not discouraged but held on his way and grew stronger and stronger Sub ponderâ— crevit storms made him root the faster and flourish the more He did not count liberty nor life dear to him so that he might finish his course with joy and the ministry which he had received of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God And his blessed Master crowned his labours with admirable success he did not draw up his net empty nor had he cause to complain of labouring in vain spending his strength for nought in vain He did see of the travail of his soul in the conversion of many and will be able to say at last Lord here am I and the Children which thou hast given me But alas alas this bright and orient Star must fall he must fall not by the rail of the