An Elegy on the death of the truly reverend, learned and pious, Mr. Stephen Charnock, July 27, 1680

An Elegy on the death of the truly reverend, learned and pious, Mr. Stephen Charnock, July 27, 1680

Table of contents

AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH of the truly Reverend, Learned and Pious, Mr. STEPHEN CHARNOCK, July 27. 1680.

§

[Page]

AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH of the truly Reverend, Learned and Pious, Mr. STEPHEN CHARNOCK, July 27. 1680.

HOW sad a stroke, how deep a wound is this,

That yet we cannot tell how great it is!

But only our just fears conclude so far,

At best, 'twill not be Heal'd without a Scar.

Who can compute that loss, which no man dare

To say, that ever 'twill admitt repair?

For that the World must not expect such Men,

No, nor the Church such Officers agen.

Had but a sence of this possest the Age,

A Book of Lamentations, not a Page

Would register our fate, and so transmit

At once the Mem'ry both of him and it.

Such Tribute, 'tis not a few drops that can

Discharge, unless we weep an Ocean;

If that our Heads were Waters, and our Eyes

Fountains of tears, 'twould suit our Miseries;

And sure that Grief cann't burst into Excess,

Whose cause is such as can have no redress.

If but two such, as Poole and Charnock, be

In one year snatcht by fatal destiny,

Three Nations, one would think, might well consent

To testifie their own astonishment;

And if two Ages could to us restore

Blessings as great as those we had before,

The want of these we better might sustain,

And be content with those which yet remain.

But where's that Door of Hope, which should let in

Such comfortable thoughts; when the same sin

Which was the first Occasion of our Woe,

Hath the like vertue to prolong it too!

Blest Soul! Thou'rt not at leisure now to mind

Our poor Estate, whom thou hast left behind

Still gazing up to Heaven; thô our Heart

Be with thee too, and where thy Better Part

Is lodg'd already, there we Hope at last

To get ashore, when all these storms are past:

Mean while we need our Pilot; for we hear

The Winds are whisp'ring, and the Clouds appear,

The Floods are moving, and without controul

Proud waters ready to go o're our Soul;

With Threat'ning voice Deep unto deep doth call;

So great our Dangers are, Thine none at all.

Could we but see the Heavens open'd, where

The joyful throng of Saints and Angels are,

We should then see, (thô all have perfect bliss)

How many Sheaves do there bow down to his:

How near to Christ's right hand he sits; his Crown

Of Glory, how it weighs the others down;

How few removes he's seated from the Throne

Above his Brethren, would then be known;

But when at last our Lord and Judge shall come

In Majesty, to pass our final Doom,

Then shall he sit upon the Bench, with those

Wh' as Christ's Assessors, shall condemn his Foes.

Consid'ring these Dark Clods of Earth, How bright

Does this Star shine among the Saints in light!

What sorry Gloworms at the most are we!

Weak Babes compar'd to such strong men as he!

While he was cloath'd with flesh (such with'ring grass)

Among Ten thousand He the Chiefest was;

Came not behind the best; but still, like Paul,

He Labour'd more abundantly than All,

Yea, and to better purpose; in some sence,

He justly might have the preheminence.

The foolishness of Preaching would commend

Religion and it self, if such a Friend

As he to both could stand up in his stead,

That we might think him risen from the Dead.

Ev'n Fools and blind, the force of truth would make

Confess, no meer man ever better spake;

And if those works hereafter should come forth,

Which are best able to express his worth,

To every Discourse annex we can,

Sure 'tis the Voice of God speaking by Man;

Something Divine must guide that Tongue and Pen,

Which soar'd thus high above all other men.

There is no Truth, of which his Papers treat,

But what they do adorn; and ev'ry sheet

As tho' it had let down from Heaven been,

Containeth nothing common or Ʋnclean.

No Sentence there, but what was so well weigh'd,

That it the speaker's rashness ne'er betray'd;

So accurate each Word, that one might guess,

'Twas to pass thro' the Pulpit to the Press.

Reader, step back, and think, How clearly would

His Lines the Book of Providence unfold: a

How would some others both support his fame,

And put the sin of Ʋnbelief to shame; b

To learn his Notions first, would soon invite

To know both God and Christ with more delight: c

On what firm grounds did he God's Being lay,

And leave the Atheist nothing more to say; d

With which design nothing could better suit,

Than next to open every Attribute;

Which having partly done, with much expence

Of Time and Pains, he clos'd with Patience; e

Whereof he prov'd to this Ʋnthankful Race

From God an Instance but for five years space;

Thus was his Publick Work begun too late,

And He too soon, Gone to a sinless State.

Notes

a

His Sermons upon 2 Chron. 16.9.

↵

b

Upon John 16.9.

↵

c

Upon John 17.3.

↵

d

Upon Psal. 14.1.

↵

e

Upon Nabum 1.3.

↵

§

§

LONDON, Printed by J. A. for Thomas Cockeril at the Three Legs over against the Stocks-market, 1680. 120.

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Title statement

An Elegy on the death of the truly reverend, learned and pious, Mr. Stephen Charnock, July 27, 1680

Edition statement

1680

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Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A39134

ID [STC]

Wing E409

ID [STC]

ESTC R36110

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

15604552

ID [OCLC]

ocm 15604552

ID [VID]

104081

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A39134)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 104081)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1591:17)

Source

— An Elegy on the death of the truly reverend, learned and pious, Mr. Stephen Charnock, July 27, 1680,

Extent

1 broadside.

Printed by J.A. for Thomas Cockeril ...,. London :: 1680.. (In verse.) (Within mourning borders.) (Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library.)

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