Philip Nye.
It was no uncommon thing for ladies moving in the highest circles thus to ' take down ' the sermons of their ministers, or discharge the office of amanuenses. Contemporaneously with Lady Brooke we find Lady Elizabeth Rich, another of Sibbes's friends, transcribing and preparing for the press William Strong's great foHo ' Of the Covenants.'* Of Lady Brooke, her biographer Park- hurst states, among many other things of note, that —
' She used a mighty industry to preserve what either instmot'^d her mind or affected her heart in the sermons she had heard. To ineoo sue gave great attention in the Assembly, and heard them repeated in her family. And thus she would discourse of them in the evening ; and in the follow- ing week she had them again repeated, and discoursed the matter of them to some of her family in her chamber. And besides all this, she -wrote the substance of them, and then digested many of them into questions and * 1678. Dedication by Theophilus Gale to Lady Elizabeth Kich.
CXX MEMOIR OF RICHARD SIBBES, D.D.
answers, or under heads of common-places, and then they became to her- matter for repeated meditation. And by these methods she was always in- creasing her knowledge, or confirming the things that were known.'*
Addressing Lord Roberts, Baron Truro, and Lady Lucie, John 8edgwick thus commences his ' dedication ' of the ' Beams of Divine Light :'—
* Right Honourable and truly Noble, — It was not so much the nobility of your blood, as that of grace given unto you from the divine hand, ivhich did so much interest you in the love and esteem of that ivorthy servant of Christ, the author of this work, in whom Urim and Thummim met, whose whole course being a real and vital sermon, sweetly consonant to the tenor of his teaching, made him amiable living and honourable dead, in the opinion of as many as well knew him. This was the thing, I suppose, which wrought unto him from you, as well as from many otJiers of your noble stock and rank, more than an ordinary esteem.' -f
Again, in like manner he addresses Robert, Earl of Warwick, and Lady Susanna, in ' Light from Heaven :' —
* For me to commend the author, were to make the world to judge him either a stranyer unto you, or a man that had not ingratiated himself with you whilst he lived near unto you. I well knew that he had an honourable
opinion of you both, and of yours You that knew and loved him
so well shall, ia vouchsafing to read over these ensuing sennons, find his spirit in them.' |
These ' testimonies ' might be greatly multiplied, and it is very pleasing to know that one who so carried about with him the ' sweet savour ' of Christ was thus welcomed at the Kimboltons, and Cockfields, and Hevinghams, and other of the family seats and castles of the nobility and gentry. It is especially honourable to Sibbes that he received such cordial welcome from the nobles and gentry of his own native county of Suffolk. The Tostock ' wheelwi'ight's ' son reversed the too often true saying of a pro- phet not being withovit honour 'save in his own country and among his own kin.' The Day will declare the good effected by these summer visits and 'conferences in private, done aptly, pithily, and profitably .... much in few words.' §
While thus a visitor among the 'great ones,' he did not forget his birth-place or school-boy haunts, his ' mother, and brethren.' I turn here to the manuscript of the Vicar of Thurston : —
* Anno Domini 1G08. I came to be minister of Thurston, and he was then a Fellow of the College, and a preacher of good note in Cambridge, and we soon grew well acquainted. For whensoever he came down into the
* Quoted in Wilford's ' Memorials and Characters,' folio, 1741, page 210. Con- sult pp. 209-213, and Appendix xvii.
t Ep. Dod., 4to, IGSg. X Ep. Ded., 4to, 1638.
2 ' Epistle Dedicatory ' to ' Evangelical Sacrifices,' 4to, 1G40.
MEMOIR OF RICHARD SIBBES, D.D. CXXl
country to visit his mother and brethren (his father being deceased) he would never fail to preach with us on the Lord's day, and for the most part twice, telling me that it was a work of charity to help a constant and a pain- ful preacher, for so he was pleased to conceive of me. And if there were a communion appointed at any time he would be sure not to withdraw him- self after sermon, but receiving the bread and wine at my hands, he would always assist me in the distribution of the cup to the congregation.'
The church of Thurston, in which Sibbes thus ministered, has only within these two years disappeared. Its great tower fell, and it was found necessary to rebuild the whole. This has been done nearly in fac-simile of the original.* The parsonage of the excel- lent vicar remains. It has degenerated into a kind of farmer's house, but on a recent visit I found many traces of former elegance and comfort. It is two-storied, with lozenge-paned windows, and heavy sculptured doorway. In front is an avenue of noble chesnuts and beeches, and pollard limes. The ' garden ' must have been of con- siderable extent. Imagination was busy calling up Sibbes and Catlin walking arm-in-arm along the mossed avenue. I stepped across the threshold of the ancient house, sat down by the carved mantel-pieced fireside with reverence. It was something to know that there our worthies had many and many a time exchanged loving words, perhaps smoked a pipe.