[1] Not so far as to do this work themselves. They | Scripture, to make us apprehend their complacential apare not to be the preachers of the Gospel; God did not probation of so grateful an errand, as, think that fit. If that had been the known and stated course, the apostles might have replied, upon their being sent to preach this Gospel: You that are an immortal angel, whom no violence can touch or hurt, go you and preach this Gospel. No, they were to do no such work; by the counsel of heaven this work is committed to men. In that marvellous conversion of the apostle Paul in his way to Damascus, he is sent to Ananias in the city, to be told by him what he was to do, Acts ix. 6. And when there was that special regard had to Cornelius's prayers and alms, that God was resolved he should not want the express discovery of the Gospel of Christ; he sends an angel to him, not to instruct him himself; but to direct him to send for Peter, as you find, Acts x. and the follow-jubilation, it was in pursuance of a proclamation that had ing chapter, who was to speak to him words, by which he and his house were to be saved, as appears by comparing those two chapters together. So that they are not to do this work themselves. Nor,

of our obligation highly to esteem them for their work's | case; when it was God's chosen way to make his word the

sake.

(1.) We ought to acknowledge the wisdom and compassion of God, that he hath chosen this way to treat with men; that he doth not always, as he did once, speak to the Israelites, by thunder and lightning, and a terrible tempest, and a voice of words, which voice they that heard, entreated they might never hear it any more; and thereupon desired Moses that he would speak to them from God, for they could not hear such a voice, but they must die for it. No, God speaks to men by men like themselves, who have the same nature and the same interest, that are to be upon the same bottom with them, and preach the same Gospel of salvation, by which they are to be saved themselves. And,

ministration of spirit and life to souls, if it do not breathe in these words, wherein can it be expected to breathe ? 5. We may collect hence, that if, by angelical suffrage, it ought to be the business of ministers to preach the words of this life; then, undoubtedly, by angelical suffrage, the words of this life are words worth the hearing; worth attending and listening to. An angel would have been loth to have been the messenger to these great worthies, the apostles of our Lord, charging them to go and preach in the temple to the people a jargon of impertinent, idle stories. No; but when he saith, Go, and preach to the people the words of this life, that leaves the matter out of all doubt, that here was a ready concurrence both in judgment and complacence of the angel hereto; and that (2.) We are to honour such, as he puts this honour in full effect, he pronounced these things worth listening upon, for their work's sake; to esteem them highly in love to. Though we cannot suppose him so assuming, as to on this account, 1 Thess. v. 13. How beautiful are the think he could by his approbation add any thing real to feet of them, that bring glad tidings! Rom. x. 15. How his authority who sent him; yet as to the reputation of welcome their approaching steps! How graceful is their the message, with us, it is not without its weight: as it motion towards us! They that labour in the word and makes a great difference, whether a prince signify his doctrine, are upon that account worthy of double honour, mind, in this or that affair, by a person of honour, or by 1 Tim. v. 17. And all this not for their own sake, but for a foot-boy. Therefore when any of you have heard the their work's sake. For the greatest instruments that ever words of this life, with neglect and disregard, you have were in the world, employed in this work, what are they? set your judgment against the judgment, at once, of the That great apostle Paul counts himself as nothing; though great God, and of the glorious angels of God: it signifies not behind the chiefest apostles, yet a mere nothing; so as if you thought yourselves wiser than God, and than he nullifies himself, diminishes himself to a thing of any angel in heaven. They esteem these words worthy nought, a perfect nullity. Elsewhere, I laboured more the most serious attention and regard; but you look upon abundantly than they all, saith he, yet not I! 1 Cor. xv. them as trifles, not worth the regarding. Worms of this 10. Who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by earth, mushrooms lately sprung up, mean abjects, but bewhom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man ? 1ginning to crawl, set their mouth and heart against heaCor. iii. 5. Who is Paul? As if he would say, it cannot be ven; oppose their rash, presumptuous judgments to the told; too little a thing to be seen or known! or that any judgment of the supreme Lord, and of those wise sages, notice should be taken of him. We cannot, indeed, have the blessed and holy angels, that stand always in the pretoo mean thoughts of ourselves; so little we are, compared sence of God, and hear his wisdom! The vanities of this with the greatness of our work and none can have so world are thought worth the regarding; but the words of mean thoughts of us, as we ought to have of ourselves, eternal life are counted unworthy to be regarded, or listenwho should know ourselves best, and better understand ed to! What absurd insolence is this? to persist in a pracour own little value, than any others can. But when any tical judgment, so directly contrary to the judgment of the esteem the ministers of Christ for their work's sake, they wise and holy angels; and, as is evident, of God himself, only express a respect to him that sends them, to the mes- who sent this message! When such men do meet, is not sage they bring, and to their own souls, that are in such a all their talk vanity? running upon the things only of the way so tenderly cared for. earth and time, mere impertinency at best to such as have souls to save! But also are not bold, profane jests, about things most sacred, usual ingredients in their conversation? viz. what is most opposite to such a design! These things, they reckon, sound well in a coffee-house, or a tavern; but how do they sound in heavenly places, whither the report presently flies up, as may be collected from Eph. iii. 10. To the principalities and powers in the heavenly places is made known by the church (i. e. in or about the affairs of the church) the manifold wisdom of God. Which cannot but imply their animadversion upon the follies of men, counterworking that wisdom. Nor can the censure of so excellent creatures, and of so bright understandings, be lightly esteemed by any, but most stupid minds. And if such an addition signify nothing, why doth the apostle, having given a charge before God, and before Jesus Christ, add, and before the elect angels?

3. We may learn hence, how peculiarly spiritual and intellectual this life is, which such words do so nearly concern. Do you know any life besides, that is produced by words, and by words maintained and improved? No words can otherwise affect us, than as they convey a sense into our minds so as to be understood, and into our hearts and spirits, being inwardly received and believed there. This must be an intellectual and most pure sort of life, that depends upon words, that can be begotten by words, and improved by words, and perfected by words. It shows it to be a sort of life far above the sphere of this bodily life; this bodily life is not to be begotten or maintained by words. You cannot by words recover life into a dead finger, much less into a dead corpse. And again, what admirable words are those that can make us live! transmit life into the very centre, and make our hearts live! It is true, it is not the mere words, but divine breath animating those words, that begets this life: but that still proves it to be a spiritual life. The divine word hath a peculiarity with it: that, indeed, through the efficacy of a divine blessing accompanying it, makes the ordinary means available, for the sustaining of our natural life; man lives not by bread only, but by the word that proceeds our of God's mouth; much more is his vital word necessary to the production and maintenance of the life of our souls.

4. Hence we may collect how dismal and sad their case is, that sit from time to time with dead souls under the words of life! Year after year there are words of life spoken and breathed forth, in those assemblies where they are hearers; yet when the truth of the matter comes to be told, must say, I feel nothing of this life in my soul; my heart is dead still, is still a stone or a clod! No words that I have heard, have awakened, quickened, melted, purified my heart, warmed and inflamed my heart! Dead I was in trespasses and sins, and so I remain notwithstanding all the words of this life which I have heard! This is a dismal

6. Learn farther, that if any servants of Christ have faithfully, in a continued course, to the end of their time, been intent upon this business, preaching the words of this life, their memory ought to be very precious to us when they are gone: they who have been employed in this work, called to it by God, it is all one whether his mind were signified to them by an angel, or any other way. For it was not an angel that gave the authority, but only conveyed this particular command, as hath been noted. When God in his ordinary method hath called forth a servant of his to preach the words of this life, and he hath laboured in it faithfully to the uttermost, the memory of such a one ought to be very dear and precious to all to whom he was known, and that have had opportunity of hearing from him the words of eternal life, or that shall receive a faithful account of him. We are so directed and taught, Heb. xiii. 7, 8. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day,

and for ever.

And he still as much requires the same thing as ever he did.

And truly such a servant of Christ was this my dear and worthy brother, the very reverend Mr. Vink, whom God hath lately taken from among us. He was the son of a noted citizen of Norwich: nor will equal judges of his true worth think it a despicable degree of lustre added to that city, that such a man was born there. His ancestors were early protestants, when the Reformation was struggling for a birth in Flanders. Where, when the persecution against that profession began to rage, the zeal and fervour of their religion not admitting to be concealed, or suffering them to temporize, Providence ordered their seasonable transportation to that city of refuge, which became native to their following posterity, and among them to this worthy man; who hath often been heard to say, He reckoned it a greater honour to have descended from so pious ancestors, than if he could have derived his pedigree from the greatest princes. He was, indeed, designed for multiplying the offspring of the everlasting Father; and seemed formed for this work from his entrance upon the stage of this world: so were those things very early interwoven in the frame and temper of his soul, that were to be the elements of great future usefulness in this kind of service. For, in his very tender years there appeared very early religion, great seriousness, an habitual awe and reverence of the Divine Majesty; insomuch that none could observe when he first began to be a fearer of God. Which pious disposition of mind was in conjunction with so great a propensity and addictedness to books, with desire of learning, as was very unusual at that age, even in his childhood." And very early was his preparatory endeavour for that noble employment to which he afterwards betook himself. For as nature and grace appeared to have betimes combined to frame him as an instrument for such service; it was soon very evident, that in the former, God had inlaid a deeper foundation, enduring him with singular parts, above the common rate; which as they came gradually to shine out, in the great improvements he had made, under instruction, in a little time; there appeared such quickness of apprehension, solidity of judgment, strength of memory, quickness of fancy, without exorbitancy, as are seldom found to meet together: and these were accompanied with so spontaneous diligence beyond what the usual methods of education obliged him to, that in his tender years, while yet under the eye of his parents, they have thought it requisite sometimes to hide his books, lest he should injure himself by over-intent and close study. So that he was ripe for a university much younger than others ordinarily are. Accordingly he was sent up in his fourteenth year to Cambridge, where he remained many years a fellow and great ornament of Pembroke-Hall, even beyond the time of his taking the degree of bachelor of divinity; in which time he had treasured up a large stock of all useful learning, and might be fitly styled a universal scholar. But religion governing the whole course of his studies, kept him steady to his great end; and made him most intent upon such things as might render him most useful for his designed work. The original languages, with such rational learning as was subservient to theology; and then theology, and the study of the Holy Scriptures themselves.

| death hath come to my view: though in such a case a man only writes to himself; yet I have observed therein such strictures of elegancy, both of style and phrase, as signified it was become impossible to him, if he writ any thing, not to write handsomely, and as might become both a Christian and a scholar.

This narrative was continued until his growing infirmities put a period to it, some months sooner than to his life itself. The mention of it here you see, was occasional, and somewhat digressive. Therefore, to return, when he had passed through the long course of his academical studies and employment, London, whither his fame had now reached, could not long want such a man. Hither he was called; and here he shone a bright light in two churches of this city successively, viz. Saint Michael's in Cornhill, which he easily quitted upon another's claim; more from an indisposition to contend, which was little suitable to his calm temper, than from defect of title, could his friends, that so highly valued him, have prevailed with him to admit of its being disputed; but they had the less reason to be urgent upon him, for that he was so immediately chosen to a neighbour church, where he continued preaching the words of this life, till August 24, 1662, when not satisfied with some things in the act that then took place, he calmly quitted his station, but not his ministry; which he never refused to exercise, when desired, in distinct assemblies, when they had only the favour of a connivance. But his more ordinary course was, after he was deprived of his former public liberty, to preach for many years, as the apostle Paul did, in his own hired house; whither his great abilities, and most lively vigorous ministry, drew an assembly not inconsiderable; whereto he both dispensed the word, and (to such as were qualified, and desirous) the sacrament of the Lord's supper, at certain seasons. And this course he continued, especially that of preaching in his house, till bodily disability made it impossible to him; which then he deeply lamented. Yet did he not decline all communion with the established church. Whereupon he had experience of the haughty, supercilious temper of some men's spirits, on the one hand, and the other; who assume to themselves an interdicted, unhallowed liberty of sitting in judgment upon other men's consciences; and adventure to censure them, as men of no conscience, that abandon not their own, to follow theirs; taking notice, sometimes with just regret, that he incurred the anger of two sorts of men; of some, that he went no further; of others, that he went so far.

Looking into his memoirs, I found that rich vein of religion and godliness, running throughout the whole, that I think no serious man could read them without being very deeply affected therewith. Week after week, whatsoever was more remarkable, relating to himself, his family, or the church of God, is punctually set down, and intermixed with most pious ejaculations, "My God, and my All.” If any trouble occurred, "yet God is mine, and I am his." You every where discern the breathings of a holy devout soul. Ejaculatory supplications are very frequent for his relatives, and domestics, "The Lord sanctify them, the Lord wash them, the Lord protect them, lead them by the truth and counsels." On all occasions that spirit of prayer and universal godliness discovers itself all along, mixed with the greatest tenderness and compassion that I have For diversion he was no stranger to history, viz. civil, any where met with. If any one were sick in his family, which was fundamental but more diverting; as well as his dear consort, his son, daughter, or daughter-in-law, his ecclesiastical, which was more immediately necessary to most beloved brother, or if a servant, male or female, 'tis his purpose. And among his other accomplishments, his noted down, with his suspiria, the breathings forth of earnskill and accuracy in the Latin tongue was, as I have been est supplications on their behalf. And afterwards upon otherwise informed, much remarked in the university; so their recovery, most solemn thanksgivings. But if any that the professor in the chair, when he took the above- one died, then such self-humiliation, such lying low before mentioned degree, (as was reported by an eye and ear- the Lord, such yielding compliance with the Divine pleawitness,) disputing pro formâ with him, after he had some- sure, with the design of spiritual improvement thereby, what longer than ordinary opposed him, he still answering as I believe hath been seldom seen. And in whatsoever in neat and elegant Latin, said, Mr. Vink, I only so long case, there are expressions of a steady trust in God, in recontinued my opposition to you, to give you opportunity to ference to all his affairs, both of this world and that which entertain the auditory with that judgment and eloquence, is to come. If any difficulties came in view, upon the which have appeared in your answers. And that to ex-mention thereof, he presently subjoins, "But I will trust press himself politely in that tongue was become habitual and familiar to him, appeared in that writing, in that language, a weekly account of the more remarkable things that <ccurred to bim in the course of his life; which since his

in God; he will show me the plain and the right way, wherein he would have me to go." His charity to the distressed was always flowing, and very exemplary; but much more the pity which wrought in his heart towards such,

whose miseries and necessities were such, as it was never | possible for him to relieve proportionably to the largeness of his soul. He in the mean time suffered the calamity of every one whose case came to his notice. His humility was such, as did shine through all his other excellencies. He was, indeed, a great man in every one's eyes but his own. No one ever thought meanly of him, that knew him, but himself. His love of solitude and retirement was peculiarly remarkable. No man had more opportunity, in his circumstances, to multiply friends and acquaintance; but I never knew any one who minded and studied it less; yet where once he was acquainted, there could not be a more pleasant and delectable friend. It was remote from him to seek acquaintance, nor did he need; it was enough for him to receive those, that were so kind to themselves as to seek his. And 'tis evident, that love of solitude is peculiar to those, who, through the grace of God, and especially a sort of self-benignity, have been capable of becoming good company to themselves. For empty persons, or such as are only full of malignity, men of ill minds, and conscious to themselves of ill design, for such I do not wonder, that of all things, they care not to be alone. They can never be grateful company to themselves. But he had laid up such a treasure of human and divine knowledge, that I know not where he could find pleasanter company than his own. And his special gratitude for divine mercies was very observable. I have found, in his memorials, he was much in admiring God, that he had done so much for him and his, and more especially for the helps he had from heaven in the performance of his ministerial work. Blessed be God for the assistance he gave me such a day. And very particularly at the Lord's supper. Blessed be God for what hath past between him and me at his table; blessed be God that his bonds have taken hold of my soul!

Though his temper, and the chosen circumstances of his life, kept off from him in great part, more frequent occasions of communicating to the world the rich treasures wherewith his mind was stored, yet when such occasions have occurred, he neglected them not. But while, through his own continuing dissatisfaction, he remained excluded from a public station; besides his constant ministerial labours, in a private way, he embraced other occasions that Providence offered, of doing such work as became much more public; and wherein he did more than speak from a pulpit to a single congregation of hearers, speaking from the press to the world, as any should think fit to be his readers. Divers of his excellent sermons have been long extant to common view, wherein, being dead, he yet speaketh. An account of which, though elsewhere given,b it is not unfit here to repeat. As, before his ejection, he had one sermon in the first volume of the Morning Exercises, preached in the church of Saint Giles, upon Original Sin; so after it, he had another, in that against popery, upon the Grounds of the Protestants' Separation from the Church of Rome. Another, upon the Worth of the Soul, in the continuation of the Morning Exercise Questions, with another, on Gospel Grace the best Motive to Holiness, vol. 4. And to these I must add that valuable performance of his on the Acts of the Holy Apostles, in the supplement to Mr. Pool's Annotations on the Bible, (by mistake ascribed to another worthy person, who hath to me disclaimed it, and assured me it was Mr. Vink's.) And it is a satisfaction to me, that I have his concurring judgment in the interb In Mr. Calamy's Abridgment, &c.

pretation of this text. Who writing upon it, when he could little apprehend his own funeral sermon was, so many years after, to be preached from it, tells us, that though some admit of an hypallage in the expression, "the words of this life," and join the pronoun to the other substantive, reading it, These words of life.-Because by this life is ordinarily understood the present temporary life, as in 1 Cor. xv. 19. Yet he says, there needs not this translatious sense; by this life the angel might very well understand, eternal life, and salvation, for that was it which the Sadducees denied, and for the preaching of which life the apostles were imprisoned. To which purpose also the learned Doctor Hammond speaks in his annotations on the same place.

The words of this life he preached to the last, and lived it, in its initial state, as he now lives it (being in the kind, the same life) in its perfect, eternal state. And we may now put in him with those holy men (as he speaks in the argument, which he prefixes to this book) who having lived answerably to their profession and hope, do when we read these things, seem to speak unto us, and tell us, (what they say was inscribed upon the statue of some deified hero,) Si feceritis sicut nos, eritis sicut nos; If ye shall live as we have done, and suffer as we have suffered, then shall you be (glorious and happy) as we are. And yet such a life as this must end, a life transacted at such a rate! Whither should this carry and direct all our thoughts and aspirings? I bless God we have such instances of many, of whom we must say, it is impossible but that such men are got into a good state. A great confirmation of the truth of our religion. We must be assured such a one cannot be lost in a grave; his works must follow him into a higher region. But I add,

7. That, since they who do preach the words of life, do yet themselves die, let us attend upon their ministry accordingly. We have such and such to preach to us the words of life; but they are mortal men, and must not preach to us always. Therefore let such a thought take place; take we heed that we do not lose them, while we have them: O let the words of life, which they preach, be entertained as such. Our Saviour saith of John the Baptist, he was a burning and a shining light, and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. You can rejoice in no such light but for a season. You may say, if such and such that are now preaching to us the word of life do drop, God can raise up others in their room to preach the same word: and I hope he will, that when such a one as I drop, he will raise up some other to preach to you at another rate, with more warmth, and vigour, and success, than ever I have done. But yet you are to consider that you are mortal too, as well as we. And admit you have those who shall far exceed them that have gone before; yet you know not how short your time may be under them. Therefore whatever your hand finds out to do in this kind, do it with all your might. Labour to catch at the words of this life, as once one in distress did at words of a much inferior concern, and when a meaner life hung in doubt. We are continually hovering between life and death! How fast are we dropping away from one another! Every one that dies from among us, doth, even dying, utter such a voice. Amidst so many deaths, admit, draw in, as vital breath, the words of this life. Dread, as the most frightful of all deaths, that the very words of this life should be to you the savour of death unto death.

A FUNERAL SERMON,

FOR

MRS. ESTHER SAMPSON.

SIR,

TO MY WORTHY FRIEND DR. HENRY SAMPSON.

I HAVE perused the papers which you sent me, and find, as far as I can recollect, they contain in them the substance o what was delivered; with no more mistakes than is usual in writing from the mouth of one who is not of the slowest speakers.

Some things besides, which the limits of the time allowed not to be spoken, (having some short memorials of them by me,) I have added, conceiving they might also contribute towards the good end you proposed to yourself, in so earnestly desiring this publication, the assisting of their patience, and their good and placid thoughts of God, who are exercised under long and languishing distempers. The observations which your profession hath occasioned you to make, in the cases of many others, hath I doubt not let you see the need of somewhat to this purpose; otherwise the example you have had so long before your eyes of so calm and composed a temper, in this excellent relative of yours, might have made you less apprehensive how great an addition a fretful inquiet spirit is, both to the sin and the affliction of a sickly state. I am sensible your own affliction is great, in the loss you now sustain; the relief will be great, and suitable, which the forethoughts of that state will afford, where they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God, in heaven. I am, Sir,

In much sincerity and affection, yours

to serve you in the work and labour of the Gospel,

J. H.

LUKE XIII. 16.

AND OUGHT NOT THIS WOMAN, BEING A DAUGHTER OF ABRAHAM, WHOM SATAN HATH BOUND, LO, THESE EIGHTEEN YEARS, BE LOOSED FROM THIS BOND ON THE SABBATH DAY?

usual course and subject at this time. Nor could any thing have been more suitable to the present occasion, for not only was this daughter of Abraham released from her infirmity upon the sabbath-day; but the time wherein it remained upon her, in a great and manifold complication, was (as her surviving consort hath acquainted me, and who therefore recommended this subject) precisely about eighteen years.

You will soon see the occasion and connexion of these | Abraham too, on our sabbath-day. It was formerly told words, by viewing over the whole paragraph to which they you upon what occasion, and I doubt not but you generbelong. Ver. 10. And he was teaching in one of the syna-ally know upon whose account, we were to divert from our gogues on the sabbath. (11.) And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. (12.) When Jesus saw her, he said to her Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. (13.) And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made sraight, and glorified God. (14.) And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath-day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath-day. (15.) The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite! doth not each of you on the sabbath loose his ox and his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? (16.) And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day? (17.) And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

Inasmuch as our blessed Lord spake these words, and did the thing which occasioned them, upon that which was, with the Jews, their sabbath-day; it cannot be unfit for us to consider them upon ours, they so fitly leading us to consider also another release, wrought for a daughter of

a Vid Maimon. constitut. de fundam. c. 5, 9. cum Abrav. N. 13, 14. And, as our own Dr Lightfoot says upon that question of our Lord's, Is it lawful to heal upon the sabbath day? (quoting divers more of theirs to that purpose,)

There are, 'tis true, disagreements between our case and that case in the text, which do not therefore render both together less instructive to us, but the more. And, to make way to what may be so, you must here take notice, that these words are part of our Lord's defence of what he had done in performing this work of mercy, wherein what he says is justly severe, and very clearly convictive. It is very deserved and just severity, that he called him, who cavilled in the case, by his own true name, Thou hypocrite. He, under pretence of great sanctity, discovers the highest enmity, even against our blessed Lord himself, who came (being sent) upon the holiest and kindest design into this world. The zeal which he pretends for the observation of the sabbath, could not be the thing that he did really mean, or that acted him in this case; for it was not likely he could be ignorant of what was a known adjudged case among the Jews, (as some of their own Rabbies inform us,) he violated not the sabbath so much as their own canons allowed. See his Works, vol. 2.