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AN ELEGY Upon the Death of Mr. FRANCIS HOLCROFT, Who dyed the sixth, and Interred this twelfth of January, 1691/2.

PRaises of him (when dead) are justly due,
Who living, was, by th' grace of God, found true:
Faithful to Christ, and Useful in his Station;
Blest,
1 Pet. 2.9.
and a Blessing made, to Christ's own Nation.
And as a great Ambassador for him,
Hath woo'd and won full many to come in,
2 Pet. 5.20.
Even from the East and West,
Mat. 8.11.
and North and South,
Sit down at's Feet, and learn from Christ's own Mouth,
The care of Grace, sound Faith and Holiness,
And him 'fore Men and Angels to confess.
Fearful of Sin,
Mat. 10.32.
but fearless of all those,
Who are Christ's Enemies,
Mat. 10.28.
and him oppose:
Whom neither Men, nor Devils could afright,
From sending forth's burning and shining Light,
In darkest Times and Places, where Death's shade
Had covered Souls, and them a Prey had made
To Sin and Satan, World, and Death and Hell;
He reason'd by the Gospel-light, to tell
In Zion, what the Lord had done for them,
And Glory give to God 'fore Sons of Men.
A Fisher-man he was, at Christ's Command
He cast his Net, and wand'ring made a stand
To see what Multitudes,
Mat. 13.47, 48.
by Grace were caught,
'Mong which were many good, tho' some prov'd naught.
His Fellow Fisher-man, God took first away,
Grief whereof, and other things, I'll not say
Brought down his Body and his Mind, to cease
And mourn in Silence, waiting Death's release;
Which God hath granted unto him with Joy,
That gone he is, where's nothing to annoy,
Where rest he doth from his fore Labors all,
Rev. 14.13.
And where his Works most sure him follow shall.
He's gain'd the Point and into the Harbor's gone,
Welcom'd by Angels, and by Saints each one;
By Abel, Enoch, Noah, and the rest
Of the Fathers, Prophets and Apostles, blest
With Vision of the Face and Sight of God,
And of the Lamb, whose Paths they following trod.
Oh!
Jam. 5.11.
happy, happy Holcroft, thou'st endur'd
The Cross,
Jam. 1.12.
and now the Crown to thee's secur'd.
And hence let th' Ministers of Christ, learn to know
Their Times and Seasons, and improve them too;
And Work whilst 'tis their Day, for Night will come,
When no more Work can by them here be done.
Eccles. 9.10.
And learn to bear and suffer much, for th' Sake
Of God's Elect, who Christ his Body make.
And shew their love to Christ,
Joh. 21.5.
in feeeding's Flock,
Purchas'd by's Blood,
Acts 20.28.
on Earth his only Stock;
And when their Work is done, and they appear
Before the Shepherd great, whose Sheep they are,
They shall receive a Crown of Life,
1 Pet. 5.4.
laid up
For them,
Mat. 6.20.
where neither Moth nor Rust corrupt:
Oh! let us therefore be Couragious and Strong,
Our Working time is short, and Rest is long.
And what to our Charges shall be by the way,
Life, Liberty, Estate,
Mat. 19.29, 30.
Christ will't repay
With a redundance of an hundred fold,
Now, and eternal Life, next World to hold.
And let the Flock of Christ, whose once he was
Learn to remember Sin, and purge their Dross.
Repent and turn to him,
Isa. 9.13.
that smitten hath
Their Shepherds, one,
Rev. 2.5.
and other now by Death:
And let them look to him,
Mal. 1.15.
whose th' residue,
Of the Spirit is,
Joh. 3.34.
who can them Pastors new
Raise up and give, according to's own Heart,
Jer. 3.14, 15.
Knowledge and Understanding to impart;
To feed and lead them in right Paths of Peace,
And Truth and Holiness, well to encrease
In Grace and Knowledge, till they come to see
The Face of him whose Pasture-sheep they be:
Acts 20.32.
But let them pray 'th Lord of th' Harvest great,
Mat. 9.38.
That he may send forth such as may compleat
The Harvest there, and gather in to him
The Remnant of's Elect, not yet brought in,
John 16.16.
And edifie the Body, till they come,
Ephes. 4.12, 13, 14.
To be compleat in Stature and Union:
That henceforth they no more such Children be,
Tost to and fro with Waves as is the Sea;
But holding Truth in Love full stedfastly,
May Faith and Order keep in Unity:
That so the Blessing great, which is kept in store,
May be on them; even Life for evermore.
Psal. 133.
Now to conclude, what's said of him that's gone?
'Tis not the Man we prais'd, but Grace alone;
The Grace of God, which made him what he was,
1 Cor. 15.10.
'Bove others and himself: All Flesh is Grass.
'Tis not the Man, for he was less than nothing,
But Grace it was alone, that made him something.
Therefore to God and Lamb upon the Throne,
Let Glory due be given by every one:
Rev. 4.9, 16, 17.
To whom he was a Blessing in his day,
And let his Faults be buried in the Clay,

AMEN.

London: Printed for Will. Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-Street, 1692. Where you may be supplied with a Book lately Printed, of Dr. Owins, Entituled, A Guide to Church-Fellowship and Order, according to the Gospel-Institution: Wherein these following Particulars are di­stinctly handled: 1. The Necessity of Believers to joyn themselves in Church-Order. 2. The Subject Matter of the Church. 3. The Continuation of a Church-state, and of the Administration of Evangelical Ordinances of Wor­ship, briefly vindicated. 4. What sort of Churches the Disciples of Christ may, and ought to joyn themselves un­to, as unto Entire Communion. Price 6d. ⟨188.⟩

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