NEW POEMS Upon the DEATH of that Eminent Servant of God, and truly Pious and Learned Minister of the Gospel Mr. Stephen Charnock; Who Departed this Life, July 27. 1680.
SUrpriz'd was I as others, 'tis no doubt,
That such a Light as
Charnock was blown out:
Oh surely now great darkness doth draw on,
When God such shining Stars, as he, calls home:
What, and in silence doth he now remain!
Is
Charnock dead! he'l never preach again,
And is he snatcht away in's middle Age?
We've cause to fear Gods judgments do presage.
It is a loss, for which my heart doth ake,
That blessed
Charnock's gone; oh for his sake
Methinks I could have render'd up my breath,
To have freed him from grim conquering Death:
But God is the great Sovereign over all
Who gives being to Creatures great and small;
And when he pleaseth he takes it away,
When 'tis God's time to call, there's none can stay.
Therefore let all that in his Vineyard grow,
Be rowsed up doth God go on to mow;
Such useful plants, whose fruits we plainly see?
What then can those expect that with'ring be,
But that his Sithe will also cut them down,
And's wrath to feel, when such shall wear the Crown?
Stay a while my Pen, this is not thy Theam;
If others slumber still as in a dream,
I desire to take warning, and commend,
Something of the worth of my deceased friend;
Great God instruct me, and lend me thy light,
That of thy servant something I may write
Not for vain glory, nor for flattery,
Nor yet for to promote Idolatry;
In speaking any thing of the worth of man,
And not to God give glory whence it came.
His Birth and his Beginning scarcely known,
And since his life much retir'd and alone,
But yet his education was very good;
Brought up at Cambridge, where he understood
A Learned Scholar quickly for to be,
Whose chief delight was in Divinity,
Full of wisdom, although he was but young;
To all he gave the right, to none he offer'd wrong.
To
Ireland then his voyage he did take,
Where God in mercy did not him forsake.
For there he did to him much favour give,
So that in splendor great he there did live;
Yet still he was both humble chaste and meek,
The poor did not despise, nor rich their favour seek.
But God, who in his wisdom best doth know
What soil is best in which his Saints may grow,
Did then reduce him not for any crimes,
But by an alteration of the times.
And after he wander'd from place to place,
Though all was gone, still he retain'd his grace.
And last of all to
London then he came,
Whose real worth did quickly spread his fame.
To
Fowler's place God call'd him to succeed,
Where to reveal his mind he did proceed.
Much he had receiv'd, and so he did impart:
He pray'd and studied for to raise the heart,
For to admire Gods goodness, grace and truth,
In which he labour'd even from his youth.
Upon his heart still he kept a great sense,
Of the first transgression and offence,
By which we was exempted from all good,
Had not our Lord Redeem'd us by his blood.
And this he did in all his prayers proclaim,
That we might be humbled for the same.
Thus low the building being surely laid,
God's grace and mercy was the more display'd;
To sinful man, who had himself destroy'd,
But that infinite wisdom did provide,
And lay help on one, mighty for to save,
All such that did in faith and love him crave:
And caution us in walking to take heed,
Because from such a spring we did proceed.
His prayer was sweet judgment clear, doctrine sound,
All his words savoury and yet profound.
God's great Attributes, which so perfect are,
For to make known his daily practice were;
His Justice Truth and his purity.
He'l not diminish, yea, his Majesty,
Doth loath and hate whatever is impure;
All such as are defil'd they must indure,
His eternal wrath, nay, although his Son,
He must suffer which never guile had done;
That we might tremble, stand in aw, and fear,
He fully prov'd God's presence every where;
Which as it was a help against temptation,
So to the Saints it was a consolation.
Of th' greatness of his power he also spake;
By which both Heaven and Earth he did make;
Who governs there, and all things on the Earth,
His power no bounds nor limitation hath;
That so we his patience might proclaim,
Who have so often spurn'd against the same:
That this in God a great perfection were;
From sense whereof we should his goodness fear.
To anger he was slow for our sins past.
Upon which subject
Charnock preacht the last,
And if you please your mem'ry to revive,
He shew'd from hence it was we did survive;
That his forbearance in his day of grace,
Would make his wrath more fierce when't taketh place,
Unless to Christ God's goodness did us lead,
By faith and love that he our cause might plead.
His chief design was to exalt Gods name,
And melt our hearts that have abus'd the same.
From hence he told us also we might learn,
Patiently for to bear, when we did discern
Offences given, and in our hearts to love
Our Enemies, and imitate God above.
Remembring our blessed Saviour's prayer,
We must forgive, if we forgiven are.
Thus, as far as my knowledge did extend,
I have made known of my deseaced friend
To you his hearers; is your candle spent?
Hath God two such eminent servants lent?
And in so small a space call'd both away?
See how you have improv'd, and do not stray;
Though he is gone that did your hearts perfume
With such sweet doctrine, yet do not presume
To question God, who well can qualify
A second
Charnock, his place to supply.
To all good Christians, this I would advise,
To stand in the gap, now you would arise,
And break off sin, lest God doth still increase
To call home his Embassadors of Peace.
Sure, when such a
Moses doth fall asleep,
It's high time then for
Israel to weep;
And to leave off their sinful frothy mirth,
When good men so fast perish from the earth.
An Achrostick.
Stay, stay ye mourners, mourn ye for your friend
That's enter'd into joys that have no end?
Eternally he will in glory reign,
Praise God for all his Acts, submit to th' same.
He is not dead, but only is set free
Evermore from sin, death and misery,
None are crowned but such as holy be.
Come ye mourners, methinks I hear him say
Here is a rest for you, do not delay.
Amount upon the wing take sight above,
Read what's prepar'd for them that do God love;
No mortal eye can see, no heart conceive:
O then make hast, admire and believe;
Cast off your weights, and all sin disdain,
Keep close with God, and we shall meet again.
Epitaph.
Here lieth blessed
Charnock's dust,
His soul is fled to Heaven I say,
When death doth come all go they must,
What King or Prince his hand can stay?
All sorts of men death's stroke must know,
Two sorts it makes them for to be,
One goes to everlasting woe,
The other to felicity.
Here lieth blessed
Charnock's dust,
But he shall surely rise again
At th' Resurrection of the just,
And so with Christ for ever Reign.