A sermon preached at the funeral of the Reverend Richard Meggot D.D. and late Dean of Winchester, Decemb. 10th, 1692 at Twickenham by William Sherlock ...

A sermon preached at the funeral of the Reverend Richard Meggot D.D. and late Dean of Winchester, Decemb. 10th, 1692 at Twickenham by William Sherlock ...

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Title page

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Books Published by the Reverend Dr. Sherlock, Dean of St. Pauls, Master of the Temple, and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties.

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I PHIL. 23, 24.‘For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better.’‘Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.’

ST. Paul wrote this Epistle to Philippi from Rome, where he was in Bonds for the Gospel; but though his Body was confined to a Prison, his Soul, his great Divine Soul was at Liberty to visit the Churches he had planted, to advise and counsel and comfort them, to encrease their Knowledge, and to confirm their Faith, to inflame their Zeal, and to spur them forward to more perfect Attainments in all Piety and Vertue.

[Page] The Philippians seem greatly concerned least the Progress of the Gospel should be hindred by St. Paul's Imprisonment, and least they and the whole Church should be deprived of the Labours and Ministry of so great an Apostle, should this Persecution extend to Life, as they had reason to fear it would.

As for the first, St. Paul assures them, That his Bonds were for the furtherance of the Gospel; for his Imprisonment was taken notice of both in the Court and City, which made Men curious to know, what that Doctrine was, which he preached, and for which he suffered Bonds, and this published the Gospel more effectually than his Preaching could have done, v. 12, 13, &c.

As for the second, he tells them, He was no farther concerned either about Life or Death, but that Christ might be magnified in his Body. If he lived, his Life was wholly devoted to the Service of [Page] Christ, and of his Church; if he died, it would be for his own great Advantage. To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain; vers. 20, 21. and this made it a hard choice to him, whether he should desire to live or die: whether he should get rid of his Bonds, and make his Escape out of a troublesom World into the Regions of Ease and Rest, to reap the Fruit of his Labours here in the eternal Enjoyment of his Lord, whom he had so faithfully served; or whether he should live to Encounter with a thousand Difficulties and Deaths in the Service of Christ, and of the Souls of Men. What I should chose I wot not: for I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better: nevertheless, to abide in the Flesh is more needful for you.

Was there ever such a Dispute as this before, That a Man, who was as certain to go to Heaven, as he was to die; who had himself been snatch'd up into the [Page] third Heavens, and had his Mind possest with strong and vigorous and lively Idea's of the Glories of that place, who had seen and heard such things as could not be expressed; who saw a Crown, a glorious immarcessible Crown prepared for him; I say, that such a Man should make any question what he should chose, whether immediately to take possession of this Crown and Kingdom, or to live longer in this World to suffer Bonds and Imprisonments, Hunger, and Cold, and Stripes, and all the ill usage, which he had so often met with, for no other reason but still to preach the Gospel, and to enlarge the Borders of Christ's Church. What a Contempt is this, not only of the little Pleasures and Satisfactions, but even of all the Miseries of Life! what a Triumph is this over the World, over all the Frowns and Terrours of it! what a Triumph is this over Self! such a degree of Self-denial as the Gospel it self does not command, which is in some sence to deny Heaven, to deny all the [Page] Joys of Christ's Presence for the sake of doing good! for it is to delay, to put off Heaven, to adjourn his own Happiness, that he may live the longer to serve his great Master, though with great Difficulties and Labours. What Love was this to his Lord! what Love was this to the Souls of Men! it is certainly the most perfect imitation of the Love of Christ, that is possible to Man; Christ so loved us as to come down from Heaven to live a laborious Life, and to die an accursed Death for us; this great Apostle so loved his Lord, and so loved the Souls of Men, that he made it his choice to stay some time out of Heaven, and to encounter all the Miseries and Terrours of this Life, to serve Christ and his Church. Where is this Divine Spirit now to be found! Let us, my beloved Brethren, who are entrusted also with the Care of Souls by the great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls, blush to think how far short we fall of this Example: let this inspire us with a flaming [Page] Love and Zeal for the Souls of Men, for whom Christ died, and make us at least contented to deny our selves some of the Ease and Security and Pleasures of Life, to serve the Church of Christ, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

But to keep my self within some Bounds, I shall briefly Discourse on these two Heads, which are very proper for this Occasion, and very proper to my Text. First, The great Rewards of faithful Pastors and Ministers of Christ, and how much it is for their advantage to be removed out of this World. St. Paul was very sensible of this, which made him desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better. Secondly, How necessary the Lives of such Men are to the Church, and what a great loss it is, when God removes them out of it. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

[Page] 1. Let us then consider in the first place the great Rewards of the faithful Ministers of Christ, and how much it is for their advantage to depart, and to be with Christ. Now I do not here intend a comparison between Heaven and Earth: Good God! what different things are these? and what Christian doubts, whether Heaven be a happier Place than this World? Heaven! whither no Troubles or Sorrows can follow us; no persecuting Sword, no persecuting Tongue: where we shall be delivered from all the Wants, Necessities, and Infirmities of the Body, from Hunger and Cold and Nakedness, from wracking Pains and languishing Sicknesses; where there is eternal Ease and Rest and Joy, without labour, without discontents, without quarrels; where our Souls shall be perfected in knowledge and in love; where we shall dwell in the Presence of God, see him as he is, and know him even as we are known; where we shall dwell with Christ, adore his Love, behold his Glory, and be transformed [Page] our selves into the likeness and image of his Glory. We have but obscure imperfect Conceptions of these things now; Heaven will out-do our highest Expectations, as much as the most perfect state of Happiness in this World, always falls short of what we expected; and this is the case of all good Men, it is a mighty happy Change they make, when they remove from Earth to Heaven.

But there are different Degrees of Glory in the next World, proportioned not only to our different attainments in Vertue, but to those different Trusts and Services which we have been employed in, and have faithfully discharged here. We read of the Reward of a Prophet, that he who gives a Cup of cold Water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall have a Prophets Reward, which must signifie some peculiar Reward that shall be bestowed on Prophets: We know so little of the other World, that we cannot conceive, what these different Rewards [Page] shall be: The Prophet Daniel represents it by an external Glory, 12 Dan. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever. But our Saviour represents this by a different degree of Rule and Empire, 12 Luke 42. 43, 44. And the Lord said, who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his houshold, to give them their meat in due season: This is the honourable Character of Gospel Ministers in this World, that they are Rulers in God's houshold, to instruct and feed them with the Word of Life; and their Reward is proportioned to their Work; Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. What this Rule signifies in the other World is a Mystery to us, especially since we have fancied the other World to be only a State of Contemplation, not of Action, where we shall have nothing to do but to see God, and to love [Page] and to praise him, but no service to do for him; but we know there are different orders of Angels, who are imployed in great Trusts and Offices, Arch-Angels, Angels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities and Powers, which are names of Rule and Government, though we know not what their Power and Authority is nor how they Govern; in like manner our Saviour promises his Apostles, verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, 19 Matth. 28. The like we may see in the Parable of the Pounds and Talents; He who had gained ten Pounds had Rule over ten Cities; and he who gained five Pounds had Rule over five Cities: for these Servants to whom the Lord gave these Pounds and Talents to improve, plainly signifie his Stewards, and the Ministers of his spiritual Kingdom: for no other Persons have in so peculiar a manner, this honourable Character of the Servants of Christ throughout the Gospel. [Page] And if there be Order and Government among the Angels themselves, Why should we think that there is nothing like this among glorified Saints? if Angels are the Ministers of God, there is no reason to think that Heaven is a State of meer Rest and Contemplation, especially when Happiness consists in Action. And if Christ have any Ministers of his spiritual Kingdom in the next World, it is most reasonable to think, that those shall have the greatest Authority, and be employed in the noblest Services, who have been his faithful Stewards and Ministers in this World. For the Church on Earth and in Heaven is the same Church, though their State be very different; and therefore they do not lose their relation to Christ, nor their station in his Church by removing to Heaven. It is a sacerdotal Kingdom, our High Priest is King, and therefore a Priest of Jesus, how mean soever this be thought now, will be one of the highest Characters in Heaven. What the Happiness of this is we cannot tell; but we know that there are no empty [Page] Titles in Heaven, but every degree of Dignity there signifies a peculiar degree of Happiness, and what an advantageous exchange then is it for a faithful Minister of Jesus to be removed from Earth to Heaven.

For let us consider what the State of Christ's Ministers is in this World; what it was in St. Paul's days he tells us, 2 Cor. 6. 4—10. In all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in Stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fasting; by pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindnesses, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the Armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left; by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true; as unknown and yet well known; as dying and behold we [Page] live, as chastened and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoycing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. Which describes a most laborious Life, a Scene of Wants, of Difficulties, of Sufferings; a perpetual exercise of passive Vertues, to reconcile the most appearing Contradictions, to live and struggle and contend in this World, and to fetch their Comforts and Supports from Heaven.

This indeed is not always the State of the Christian Church, nor of the Ministers of it; but yet in the greatest external Prosperity of the Church, the Ministers of Religion, who discharged their Trust with Diligence and Faithfulness, find many difficulties to encounter.

The care of Mens Souls is itself a mighty Trust, and Who is sufficient for these things? consider but the Charge St. Paul gives to Timothy 1 Epist. 4. 11, &c. [Page]Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity; give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by Prophesie, by laying on of the hands of the Presbytery: Meditate upon these things, give thy self wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all; take heed to thy self, and to thy doctrine; continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self, and then that hear thee. Here is work enough to employ the whole Man, and our utmost care and diligence and prudence; work for the Study, for the Closet, for the Pulpit, as the same Apostle exhorts and charges Timothy, to preach the word, to be instant in season, out of season, to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and Doctrine, 2 Tim 4. 2. But yet though there be labour and diligence in this, it would be a delightful work, were our Labours always blessed with success; could we rescue the Souls of Men [Page] from the Dominion of their Lusts, and from the Power of the Devil, could we turn them from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God, but we must often expect to labour all might and catch nothing, we must contend with the Lusts and Vices of Men, must bear their Folly, their Frowardness, their Reproaches, and Censures, and injuries, be thought Troublesome, Pragmatical, and Busie-bodies, for our charitable Exhortations and Reproofs, and watchfulness over their Souls. And when the Church is at ease and rest from without, how often is it rent and torn in Pieces with Schisms and Heresies? as St. Paul fore-warned Timothy, the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine, but after their own lusts, shall they heap to themselves Teachers, having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned unto fables, 3, 4. ver. and what infinite Labours and Difficulties does this create to the Ministers of the [Page] Gospel, to heal the Breaches of the Church, to confute Heresies, Atheism, Infidelity, and to be scorned and persecuted for it with a bitter Rage and Zeal. That St. Paul might well add, But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry, 5 verse. We ought not indeed to be discouraged by such difficulties as these, because our Reward will be great in Heaven, but it will be a happy Day, when Our warfare shall be accomplished, when we shall cease from our labours, and our works shall follow us: when we can say with St. Paul, I have fought a good fight, I finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness.

2. Thus to die is their gain, Nevertheless, it is more needful for the Church, that they should abide in the flesh: And a great loss it is to the Church, when they die. I need not use many words about [Page] this, for the case is plain. The Death of every good Man who is very useful to the World, in what way soever he be useful, is a very great loss; for Death puts an end to his doing any more good in this World: but as to take care of the Souls of Men, is to do the greatest good to Mankind, because the Happiness of our Souls is of the greatest concernment to us, so to lose a faithful and a prudent Guide must be the greatest loss.

We indeed of this Church, have great reason to bless God, that he has sent forth so many able and painful Labourers into his Harvest, that it is not the loss of every good Man that can much affect us at ordinary times: For there are great numbers of wise and good Men to perpetuate a Succession of able and faithful Guides: but a St. Paul is at any time, and in any Age of the Church a great loss: Nay, Men who are much Inferiour to St. Paul, but yet fitted with [Page] peculiar Abilities to serve the Church at some certain Seasons, and in some difficult Circumstances, are a very sensible loss at such a time, when their service is most needful.

A Man of Council and Conduct, who is fit to sit at the Helm, and knows how to steer in a Storm, is a great loss, in times of Difficulty and Trouble, when the Church is assaulted on all hands, and it is hard to avoid one Mischief or Inconvenience without running into another.

A Man of Goodness and Temper, who knows how to govern his own Passions, and how to soften and manage the Passions of other Men, is a very sensible loss, when the Passions of Men are broke loose, and disturb the Peace of the Church, and even threaten the ruine of it.

[Page] A Man of Learning and sound Judgment, who can distinguish between Truth and Errour in all its most artificial and flattering Disguises, is a great loss, when old Errours are revived, and new ones broached; when we must dispute over again the very Being of a God, the truth of the Scriptures, and Articles of the Christian Faith.

A Man of great Diligence and Industry, Courage and Resolution, to defend the Truth, to oppose Heresies and Schisms, to preserve the Unity of the Church, and the Integrity of the Christian Faith, is a very great loss, when the Church is encompassed and assaulted with busie and restless Enemies.

A Man of an exemplary Life, and untainted Vertue, who shines like a Light in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation, who maintains the declining Honour and Repuration of Religion and [Page] true Vertue, is a mighty loss in a profligate Age, when men are grown such Strangers to the sincere Practice of Vertue and Religion, that they begin to think there is no such thing.

But I can go on no farther, the very mentioning of these things brings the fresh Idea of our deceased Brother to mind, and the afflicting Sense of that great loss, which we suffer by his Death. It becomes us to Reverence and Adore the Wisdom of the divine Providence, even when we cannot understand the Reasons of it. We are certain God is never wanting in his Care of his Church, and yet had we been made Judges of this Case, we should have thought it a very ill time to have spared him.

He was abundantly furnished with all good Learning, both for Use and Ornament; he was an accomplished Scholar, and a well studied Divine; he knew Books and read them, and judged of them: [Page] He was a Scribe instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven, who like a Housholder could bring forth out of his treasure things New and Old, 13 Matth. 52. He had carefully perus'd the ancient Philosophers, Orators and Poets, to discover what Nature taught, which gave him a truer Knowledge and greater Value for the Excellency and Perfection of the Gospel-Revelation.

He had true and clear Notions of Religion, and he was Master of them; he knew why he believed any thing, and was neither prejudiced nor imposed on by popular Opinions; he was a hearty and zealously Assertor of the Doctrine, Worship, Government and Discipline of the Church of England; he saw nothing material, which could be changed for the better, which made him jealous of Innovations, as not knowing where they would end. He was a Friend to all sincere Christians, pittied their Mistakes, and bore with their Frowardness, but did not think that Christian Charity required him to sacrifice [Page] Truth, or good Order and Government to the pretences of Peace and Unity.

He was for several Years a very diligent and constant Preacher to a numerous Auditory, till his own Diocesan who knew his Worth, and the weakness of his Constitution, and was desirous to preserve him for the Service of the Church, provided this place where we now are, for his Ease and Health, and Retirement; where he lived many Years a constant Preacher, though his Labours were then divided between his two Cures, which did not lessen his Preaching, but made the Benefit of it the more diffusive. For indeed he was an admirable Preacher, not for Noise and Lungs, but for well digested useful pious Discourses, delivered with all that becoming Gravity, Seriousness, and a commanding Elocution, as made them sink deep into the Minds of his Hearers, and made them hear. This I speak with Assurance and Confidence in this place, which was so long blessed with his Labours, with [Page] what fineness of Thought, perspicuity and easiness of Expression instructing and entertaining Images of Things, he expounded the Doctrines, and inculcated the Laws of our Saviour; how plainly he Taught, with what Vehemence and Passion he Exhorted, with what tender Sharpness he Reproved: remember how he used both to Please and Instruct, to Chide and Shame you without making you angry, how he has warmed and chaffed your Minds into the most pious and serious Resolutions, and sent you home from this place wiser and better then you came; and if you grew cold, and suffered your good Resolutions to die again, consider I beseech you, what Account you have to give.

As he grew in Years, it was necessary by degrees to ease his Labours, he could not Preach so often, but yet continued to Preach. And yet had he not Preached at all, or much less then he did, he had not ceased to be a very useful Pastor to the Church; for he was a Man of great Experience, [Page] and great Prudence and Fore-sight; fit for Government and Counsel; who knew Men and Things; was dexterous in his Applications, zealous without Passion or Peevishness, steady and resolved without violent Oppositions, and needless Provocations; who served the Church and the Truth with little Noise, and without making many Enemies: And I am sure at such a time as this, there is more need of such Men, and a much greater scarcity of them, than of good Preachers

But he was not only a good Preacher and a prudent Guide, but a very good Man: he Preached continually by his Life and Example: his Conversation was Innocent, Entertaining, and Useful; he was a true sincere Friend, very Courteous, Affable, Civil to all Men, but never pretend Friendship where he had none: he was ready to do all good Offices, was Liberal, Generous, and Charitable; a Man of a true publick Spirit, who scorned to [Page] serve himself to the Injury of others, who hated little Arts and Tricks, mean and servile Compliances: he was an open and generous Enemy, if we may ever call him an Enemy, who never wished, never intended any hurt to any Man; but my meaning is, that when any Dispute and Quarrel happened, as such things will sometimes happen, he was open and undisguised, any Man might know what he disliked, and had no reason to fear any thing worse from him, than what he would tell them. In a Word, he was a very good Christian, and that made him good in all Relations, and that Crowned all his other Labours; he took care as St. Paul did, Lest while he preached to others, he himself should become a cast-away. And now he is gone to rest, and we must all shortly follow him; God grant that we may all so run our Race, and finish our Course, that when we depart this Life we may rest in Him, as our hope [Page] in this our Brother doth, and may receive that Crown of Righteousness, which God the Righteous Judge, will at that Day bestow on all his faithful Servants, and on all those who love his Appearing.

FINIS.

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A SERMON PREACHED At the Funeral of the Reverend RICHARD MEGGOT D. D. AND LATE Dean of WINCHESTER, Decemb. 10th. 1692. AT TWICKENHAM.

By WILLIAM SHERLOCK, D. D. Dean of St. Pauls, Master of the Temple, and Chaplain in Ordinary to their Majesties.

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IMPRIMATUR,

Geo. Royse R. Rmo. in Christo Patri ac Dom. Dom. Johanni Archiep. Cantuar. à Sacris Domest.

Decemb. 18. 1692.

London: Printed for W. Rogers at the Sun over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetsteet. 1693.

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[Page] A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of Dr. Meggot, Decemb. 10. 1692.

[Page]

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[...]

[...]

Books Published by the Reverend Dr. Sherlock, Dean of St. Pauls, Master of the Temple, and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties.

[Page]

AN Answer to a Discourse, entituled, Papists protesting against Protestant Popery. Second Edition, 4to.

An Answer to the Amicable Accommodation of the Differences between the Representer and Answerer. 4to.

A Sermon Preached at the Funeral of the Reverend B. Calamy, D. D. 4to.

A Vindication of some Protestant Principles of Church-Unity and Catholick-Communion from the Charge of Agreement with the Church of Rome. 4to.

A Preservative against Popery; being some plain Directions to unlearned Protestants how to dispute with Romish Priests. In Two Parts with the Vindication, in Answer to the Cavils of Lewis Sabran, Jesuit. 4to.

A Discourse concerning the Nature, Unity, and Communion of the Catholick Church. First Part. 4to.

A Sermon Preach'd before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and Aldermen of the City of London, on Sunday Nov. 4th. 1688. 4to.

A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Holy and Ever Blessed Trinity, and the Incarnation of the Son of God, &c. The Second Edition. 4to.

The Case of the Allegiance due to Soveraign Powers stated and resolved according to Scripture, Reason, and the Principles of the Church of England. Sixth Edition. 4to.

[Page] A Vindication of the Case of Allegiance due to Soveraign Powers, &c. 4to.

A Sermon Preach'd at White-Hall before the Queen, on the 17th of June, 1691. being the Fast-Day. 4to.

A Practical Discourse concerning Death. The Fifth Edition. 8vo.

A Practical Discourse concerning a Future Judgment. Third Edition. 8vo.

A Sermon Preached before the Honourable House of Commons at St. Margarets Westminster, January 30th. 1691/92 4to.

A Sermon Preached before the Queen at Whitehall, Febr. 12th. 1691/92. 4to.

The Charity of Lending without Usury, and the true Notion of Usury stated, in a Sermon Preach'd before the Right Hounourable the Lord Mayor at St. Bridget's Church, on Tuesday in Easter-week, 1692. 4to.

A Sermon Preach'd at the Temple-Church, May 29. 1692. and Printed at the Desire of the Bench-Table of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. 4to.

A Sermon Preached before the Queen at White-Hall, June 26th. 1692. 4to.

Printed for W. Rogers.

Information about this book

Title statement

A sermon preached at the funeral of the Reverend Richard Meggot D.D. and late Dean of Winchester, Decemb. 10th, 1692 at Twickenham by William Sherlock ...

Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707.

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1693

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2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

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A59884

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Wing S3355

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ESTC R11116

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12032317

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52770

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— A sermon preached at the funeral of the Reverend Richard Meggot D.D. and late Dean of Winchester, Decemb. 10th, 1692 at Twickenham by William Sherlock ..., Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707..

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[3], 26, [2] p.

Printed for W. Rogers ...,. London :: 1693.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.) (Advertisement: p. [1]-[2])

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