This moved this reverend man of God, to spend what spare hours his sickness would afibrd him about thoughts in this kind. He was many years God's prisoner under the gout and stone, such diseases as will allow but little liberty to those that are arrested and tortured by them. So fruitful an expense of time in so weak and worn a body is seldom seen, scarce any came to him but went away better than they came ; God gave much strength of spirit to uphold his spirit from sinking under the strength of such diseases. It were a happy thing if we that are ministers of Christ, would on all con- ditions and times think of our calling, that our office is not tied to one day in a week, and one hour or two in that day, but that upon all fit occasions we are to quicken ourselves and others in the way homeward, as guides to heaven. We read not of the opening of heaven but to some gi-eat pm-pose. So it should be with the man of God, he should not open his mouth and let any thing fall (so far as frailty and the necessary occurrences of human life ■wiU permit) but what might minister some grace to the hearers.
The reason why I made choice of you to dedicate them mito, is not that * Mrs More. She is named in his Will.
XCIV MEMOIR OF RICHARD SIDBES, D.n.
I mip;Iit discharge mine own debt unto you witli another man's coin, but that I could not think of any fitter than yourself, whom this ancient minister of Christ esteemed always very mi;ch for eminency of parts and grace, and you him as a man faithful, and one that maintained his ministerial authority with good success in his place ; God allotting your habitation in your younger years in that part of the country where he lived, and where you first learned to know God and yourself. In those times those parts were in regard of the air unhealthful, yet that air was so sweetened with the savouiy breath of the gospel, that they were termed the holy land. Here- upon I thought meet to commend these sententious speeches by your name to others. Which though (divers of them) may seem plain, yet what they want in show they have in weight, as coming fi-om a man very well ex- perienced in all the ways of God. The Lord follow you with his best bless- ings, that you may continue still to adorn the gospel of Christ in your place !
Yours in all Christian ser-\dce, R. Sibbes.
Before passing on to other ' Epistles' of a public kind, I would here introduce a letter to Ussher, of probably 1628-29, which hap- pens to have been preserved. It reveals to us the keen zest and interest with which Sibbes observed what was transpiring, ' Peti- tion of Right,' and the like. It falls in here fittingly as an intro- duction to the next ' Epistle,' as there is in it a passing notice of the last illness of the ' Master' of ' Emmanuel.'
Mr R. Sibbs to the Archbishop of Atmagh.
Right Reverend, — My duty and ser^ace premised. I am forced of the sudden in midst of straits and distractions to write unto you, your ser- vant being presently to depart here : but I choose rather thus to express my remembrance of your grace, than to let slip so fit an opj^ortunity. I hope I shall always carry you in my heart, and preserve that deserved respect I owe to jou, who are oft presented to me as one that God hath shewed himself unto in more than ordinary measure, and set up high in the affections of the best. I know not the man li\'ing more beholden to God, in those respects, than yourself. It went for current here a while that you were dead, which caused the hearts of many to be more refreshed upon hearing the contrary. It is very ill losing of men of much meaner service in the church in these almost desperate times. Yesterday there was an agreement between the two houses about a petition of right, whereby the liberty of the subject is like to be established. Here is much joy for it, if it prove not a lightning before death. Our fears are more than our hopes yet. Doctor Preston is inclining to a consumption, and his state is thought doubtful to the physicians. The neighbour schism getteth still more strength with us. Bo)d dcjiciunt, mail perfwiuut. I cannot now enlarge myself, your servant hastening hence. The Lord still delight to shew himself strong with you, and to shield you in the midst of all dangers, and glorify himself by you, to the great comfort of his church, and the dis- heartening of his enemies ! I desire your grace to remember my respect to your wife, humbly thanking you \roi\\ for yom- undeserved love. — Your Grace's in all Christian service, to be commanded, R. Sibbs.*
May 27.
♦ Ussher, ante xvi. letter ccccxxii.
MEMOIR OF RICHAKD SIBBES, D.D. XCV
We have a series of prefaces, in union with John Davenport, to various posthumous works of Dr John Preston, of whom I have had occasion to speak repeatedly in this memoir. I trust that the time is not distant when we shall have a worthy edition of his writings to place beside those of Sibbes. No books had such a wide, nay, universal audience through many generations. Edition fol- lowed upon edition, and now it is not easy to collect them all. It is mournful to think how Cambridge neglects her most illustrioua sons !