Once more, Arthur Jackson, William Taylor, and James Nalton, deem any enlargement supererogatory : ' We need SAY NOTHING OF THE AUTHOR, his former labours sufficiently ' speak for him in the gates,' his memory is HIGHLY HONOURED AMONGST THE GODLY LEARNED. He that enjoys the glory of heaven needs not the praises of men upon earth.'J
Further, how many pleasant memories lay behind, when Jeremiah Burroughs thus poured out his reverence and love : * Bless God for
this work, AND the MAN THAT INDITED IT, a man, for
matter always full, for notions sublime, for expression clear, for style concise — a man spiritually rational and rationally spiritual — one that seemed to see the insides of nature and grace and the world and heaven, by those perfect anatomies he hath made of them all.'§
Finally (for it were endless to cite all), in the ' Marrow of Eccle- siastical History' (folio, 1675), in the address 'to the Christian Reader,' signed ' Simeon Ash, John Wall,' we read : ' Here, we migJd have given in a true though short chairicter of some precious servants and ministers of Christ, whose graces were admired whilst they lived, and whose memory their surviving friends do much honour, viz., Dr Preston, SiBRES, Taylor, Stoughton,' &c.
There are again and again such things, in every variety of loving
* ' To tlio Kcador.' Ilcavctily Conference betwixt Christ and Mary, 12mo, 1654. 4to, 1666.
t 'To the Kcadcir,' Exposition of od chapter of Philippians, &c., 4to, 1639. t -To the Reader,' (Jlnrious Feast of the Gospcd, 4to, 1C60. i ' To tlio Reader,' The Christian's Portion, llinio. 1638.
MEMOIR OF RICHARD SIBEES, D.D, XXIU
epithet, but we look in vain for any adequate memorial of the tender and tenderly treasured friendships ; for even the welcome gossip that abounds, of far inferior men.
The ' evil days and evil tongues,' the crowding and trampling of events, England's 'JXiag zaxuv, that made men hold their breath and ask, ' What next V explains, if it does not mitigate, the neglect of Sibbes's friends to place on record their knowledge and wealth of regard for him. He departed when the shadows of great calamities were falling, huge and dark, over the nation — calamities that were to recall, as with a clarion-blast, John Milton from Italy ; and it is easily to be understood, how, under such circumstances, there was delay issuing in forgetfulness. To all this must be added Sibbes's own splendid indifference to any blazoning of his name or fame, other than what might come spontaneously. His three small volumes — all that were published during his own life, under his own sanction — were literally compelled from him. Of the first, the ' Bruised Reed,' he tells us, with a touch of complaint,, almost of anger, ' To prevent further inconveiiieiice, I was drawn to let these notes pass with some review, considering there was an. intendment of publishing ther)i by some who had not perfectly taken them. And these first as being next at hand.' Of the ' Soul's Conflict,' he says also, ' I began to preach on the text about twelve years since in the city, and afterwards finished the same in Gray's Inn. After which, some Jiaving gotten imperfect notes, endea- voured to publish them luithoid my privity. Therefore, to do myself right, I thought jit to reduce them to this form.'
All this was the expression, not of passing irritation, much less of petulancy wearing the vizard of modesty, but of principle. For, in his ' Description of Christ,' the introductory sermons to the 'Bruised Reed' (which are now restored to their proper place), he had deprecated all eagerness after human applause. ' Let us com- mit the fame and credit,' says he, ' of what we are (jr do to God. He will take care of that, let us take care to be and to do as we should, and then for noise and report, let it be good or ill as God
will send it If we seek to be in the mouths of men, to dwell
in the talk and speech of men, God will ahhor us Therefore
let us labour to be good in secret. Christians should be as minerals, rich in the depth of the earth. That which is least seen is his (the Christian's) riches. We should have our treasure deep ; for the discovery of it, we should be ready when we are called to it ; and for all other accidental things, let it fall out as God in his wisdom.
sees good God will be carefid enough to get us applause.
.... As much reputation as is fit for a man will follow him in
XXIV MEMOIR OF RICHARD SIBBES, D.D.
being and doing what he should. God will look to that. There- fore we should not set up sails to our own meditations, that unless we be carried with the wind of applause, to be becalmed, and not go a whit forward, but we should be carried with the Spirit of God, and with a holy desire to serve God and our brethren, and to do all the good we can, and never care for the speeches of the world, .... We should, from the example of Christ, labour to subdue this infirmity, which we are sick of naturally. . . .' Then, in words that have the ring of Bacon in them, 'We shall have glory enough, and be known enough to devils, to angels, and men, ere long. Therefore, as Christ lived a hidden life — that is, he was not known what he was, that so he might work our salvation, so let us be content to be hidden ones.' More grandly, and even more like a stray sentence from ' The Essayes,' he elsewhere gives the secret of his unconcern as to what men might say or leave unsaid of him. ' There will be a eesurrection of credits, as well as of bodies. We'll have glory enough BY AND BY.' The very ease, may, negligence of that 'by and by' (recalling Henry Vaughan's ' other night,' in his superb vision of the great ring of eternity), sets before us one who ' looked not at the things that are seen and itemporcd, but at the things unseen and eternal,' one who would ishine not in the lower firmament of human fame, but up higher, :iii the ' new heavens,' as a star for ever and ever.