AN ELEGIE, UPON The Death, of that Famous and Faithfull Minister and Martyr, Mr. JAMES RENWICK.
Composed immediatly after his Execution at Edinburgh, 17. Feb. 1688.
Rev. 2.19. I know thy Works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satans Seat is: And thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denyed my Faith, even in those dayes wherein Antipas was My Faithfull Martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Printed in the Year, 1688.
AN ELEGIE, UPON The Death, of that Famous and Faithfull Minister and Martyr, Mr. JAMES RENWICK.
HEre's work, alas! for Mourners, to deplore
This fatal stroke, sadly presaging more!
In such a day, let's hang our harps on willowes:
Its not a time of laying heads on pillowes:
In such a day of wrath, and Consternation,
In such a day of Dread, and Desolation;
A day of tryal, and of treading down,
A day wherein our head hath lost its Crown,
A day of Blasphemy, Rebuke and Trouble,
A day of Darkness, and of Sorrows double,
A day of great Vexations, and Confusions,
A day of great temptations, and Delusions,
A day of Jumbling, manifold Distractions,
A day of Stumbling, manifest Defections,
A day of Famine of the word of Life,
A day of Sinning, Suffering, and Strife:
When Babels Brats the world so much encumber,
When Zions Sons dayly decrease in number,
When now the Godly cease, the Faithfull fail,
When few are left, their Funerals to bewail,
When nought but Thorns, where Corn grew, we can find,
When Gold is gone, and dross but left behind,
When our Elijah's, Israels's Chariot's gone.
When yet, alas! these Mantles left with none,
When many Hypocrites Christs Fan discovers,
When few are left, that are his loyal Lovers,
When for his laws, these few are sore oppressed,
When for his cause, they're pillag'd and distressed,
When those are hunted, and alwayes afflicted,
When of all help, and harbour interdicted,
When chas'd through Country, and pursu'd in City,
When banish'd, butcher'd, yet, in stead of pity,
(When counted slaughter sheep, and daily killed,
By such as sit at ease) they much are filled
With insolent contempt, and sad reproaches,
Which of all falshood, still the father broaches:
When Popish Tyrants, vile Beelzebubs drudges,
On thrones of tyrrannie, are own'd for judges,
When now, like stupid asses, Men are mute,
When such Usurpers challenge absolute
And arbitrary power, to sacrifice
Religion, Laws, and Lives, and Liberties;
When faithfull gospel preachers are so few,
In sharing times, to give a warning due;
When now foul murdering wolfes, Christs flock devour.
When watchmen wanting are on Zions Tower,
When few that's called so deserve the name,
But many are the ages bane and shame;
When now in stead of valour for the truth,
And crying loud with trumpets at their mouth,
Upon such loudly clamant, clear occasions;
(When Babels bastards boldly make invasions,
By blinding bribes, corrupting flatteries,
By cunning craft, and cheating shams, and lies
Upon our Covenanted Reformation,
And all our Liberties of Church and Nation
Betrayed, by this Popish Toleration.
Whereby this absolut pow'r is recognosc'd,
And all its proud encroachings are ingross'd,
Over Laws Divine, Humane, all made void,
Religions legal bulwarks all destroy'd,
All Blasphemy, Idolatrie, and sin,
Now suffered, yea invited to come in;
The church of all her priviledges robb'd,
And with a Kiss, under the fifth rib stobb'd;
In Liew of all her laws, securities,
All Oaths, and Vows, and solemn promises,
Having no more assurance, then a blind
Promise, of one, whom no such bond can bind:
Her doctrine, worship, and church government,
According to our Solemn Covenant,
All hereby undermin'd and overturn'd,
For which her sons should all have rather mourn'd)
Our Ministers for sin have made Addresses,
Charmed with Babels flattering Carcasses,
Bewitch'd with this intoxicating drink,
Which Hell did brew, and Rome with art did blink:
Cast to a deep Zeal-quenching Lethergie,
[...]urchasing hereby ease, and libertie,
On terms of selling truth, and shifting duty;
Whereby Christs bride's depriv'd of all her beauty.
In such a day to lose a faithfull witness,
And champion, accomplished with fitness
To strive for Christs prerogatives, and laws,
Must be bemoan'd by all that love his cause.
Come therefore all ye Doves, that dwell i'the rock,
[...] and deplore this wrath presaging stroke;
Come chased birds hotly purfu'd to mountaine;
Come hunted harts, which pant and bray for fountains!
Come wandring sheep, without a sheepherd straying;
Come bidden ones, afraid of false bewraying;
Come all ye faithful followers of the Lamb,
Whose hearts in Zeal do for his glory flame,
Whose hearts in fervent love to Christ are burning,
Whose hearts do melt out at the eyes in mourning;
Come, with a flood of tears the valleys fill,
And make your voice resound from hill to hill;
Cause all the mountains circling round from Carrick,
With roaring noise, rebound as far as Berwick;
From Carn-table skirts, and Ahingilloch,
To Marocks towering hights, and heads of Killoch;
From Tintoch-tops, and all the hills of Clidsdale,
To all the hills of Galloway, and Nithsdale;
From these about Black-gannoch, and the Lothers,
To Craufoord-muire, and Tweddal hills, and others;
Wherein ye hunted were, through all the glens,
Wherein ye hiding places sought in dens,
Wherein ye often forced were to flights,
Wherein ye often filled were with frights,
Wherein your hands were strengthened, heads supported,
Your minds confirmed, and your hearts comforted,
While your Renowned Renwick, now a Martyr,
Was passing through, preaching in every quarter,
His Masters glorious and gracious banner
Displaying faithfully, in lovely manner:
Like to a voice in wildernesses crying,
Making a noise most sweet, as swans when dying,
Declaring all Gods counsel, and revealed
Truths, which alive blasserted, dying sealed
But now in those waste desolate recesses,
No voice is heard, but mourning for distresses:
No voice is heard, but that of grievous groaning,
The glory gone, deplorably bemoaning,
Come therefore and put on your sable, Saints,
Fill all the hills and vales with sad complaints,
Whereof the Echo may be heard in Heaven,
In lamentation for the blow that's given,
Unto the wounded weeping remnant left,
Which of their Renwick is of late bereft,
By murdering violence of beasts of prey,
Romes bloody whelps, torn from his house of clay,
How may his little flock, alas, complain
How may they now, so great a loss sustain▪
Scotland hath lost, the world hath lost a man,
Whose room supply, there few surviving can▪
The church hath lost a son more pure and dearer
Than Ophirs gold the truth a Standard-bearer;
Zion hath lost, by this complex disaster,
A Witness, Wrestler, Mourner, and a Pastor;
The scattered sheep, a most laborious Leader;
Poor hungry souls, have lost a painfull Feeder;
The sufferers, have lost a Sympothiser;
The doubtfull halting souls, a good Adviser;
The weak, a wise encouraging Supporter;
The wanderers and mourners, a Comforter;
The tempted souls, a Counsellour in terrours;
The Ignorant, a Guide to keep from errours
The Zealous, from extreams a holding Bridle;
The lazy sort, a Spurre from being idle;
The temporizing sort of faint complyers,
Duty's deserters, and Christs truth's denyers,
May boldly now proceed in their backsliding,
Since that they are delivered from his chiding,
Who never ceas'd to be a free Reprover,
Nor sins and snares in season to discover.
How insupportable is such a cross!
How irreparable is such a loss!
Oh, let us now make search that we may know
What may the meaning be of such a blow!
What sins have this procur'd, let's meditat,
What further sorrows may't prognosticat?
Our misimprovements let us now confess
Of such enjoyments, our unworthiness
Of Renwicks gracious message, little pris'd,
And of his precious Ministrie despis'd,
Our barrenness, and base ingratitude,
Our weariness of that Angelick food,
Whereof the worth we know now by the want,
And must henceforth in tears the loss lament;
These have this Rod in righteousness extorted,
From a just God, and left us uncomforted;
A Rod which we may sadly now suppose,
A fatal forerunner of future woes,
Impendent on this base degenerat age;
The perishing of worthies must presage,
That they delivered are from that which we
Are call'd to fear, but cannot bear, nor flee:
But thô our loss be great, his gain is glory,
His Life, his Death, shall be renown'd in story;
VVhich death to us most costly and most painful,
Shall to the Covenanted cause be gainful;
In that, in place of a reproached Pastor.
A Martyr now renown'd by this disaster.
Is left us, to their everlasting shame,
Who ceased not with lies to load his Name,
And with reproaches foully to bespatter,
VVhich malice did contrive, and madness scatter;
VVhich fraud invented, as its father fain'd
Fury did vent, and folly intertain'd.
Now shall his Name in Monuments of praise,
(VVhich to his fame posterity shall raise)
Still stand recorded, that he was a Martyr,
Fruitfull in life, faithfull in his departure:
Contemn'd indeed by Apostats, and Scorners;
But eminent among all Zions mourners:
For love undoubted, and undaunted faith,
For constancie unto his final breath,
For patience abiding in all trial,
For pietie, and humble self-denyal,
For meekness true, in condescending tender,
For strickness due (he'd not a hoof surrender)
For uniform true Zeal and Moderation,
Of more then ordinary Elevation;
VVhich with an equal pace did still advance,
'Gainst all Defection and extravagance:
All Bastard Zeal opposing with all boldness,
As well as dead Laodicean coldness:
For Ministerial diligence much fam'd,
A VVorkman needing not to be asham'd;
In preaching all the Counsel God reveal'd,
His Ministrie on many souls was seal'd,
VVhich in his Masters strength he did commence,
And unto its fulfillment did advance,
Against the violentest opposition,
That ever any Youth in his condition
Had to conflict with, and at such a season,
VVhen dangers seem'd invincible to reason:
For like another Athanasius bold,
He all the world opposed and control'd,
And had all sorts of men upon his top,
All Prelatists, all Vassals of the Pope,
VVho did pursue him with all rage and rigour,
VVith might, and malice, violence, and vigour:
Those Brethren also, whom, thô still be lov'd,
He could not joyn with, but their sins reprov'd,
VVho unto men their Ministry subjected.
Or had submit to mischiefs they enacted,
Or by Disorders had their charge perverted
Or had their duty in its day deserted,
Or were in soul Complyances involv'd.
Or those to doub and plaister were resolv'd
Or shamefully were silent at the times
Iniquities, when duties went for crimes;
With those to strive, Zeal for his masters glory;
And indignation at their silly, sorry,
Foolish, and feeble, fainting, cowardice,
(That few their all for truth durst sacrifice)
His generous soul did vigourously excite,
For which by some he was oppos'd with spight,
With malice, envy, and with cruel rage,
That nothing could unto his death asswage,
Yet mangre all assaults, his bow abode
In strength, his hands confirm'd by Jacobs God:
By frowns, from duty, ne're could he be daunted
By flatteries, he ne're could be inchanted;
No fear of danger could him ever fear,
From diligence; Nor disadvantage mar;
Nor any want of good accommodations,
Could stop his pastoral exercitations;
In painfull preaching, visiting, baptising,
In conferences, and in catechising;
Even when in wandering he had no repose,
But haggs, or hiding holes, in fear of foes:
Nothing to lay his weary head upon;
No couch but grass; No pillow but a stone;
No better chamber oftimes he could have,
Then a dark den; No closet but a cave;
Yet under all this inconvenience,
He could possess his soul in patience;
His masters favour above all things loving,
Himself as his true Minister approving,
By purity, by chastity unfeigned,
By veritie in sanctity maintained,
By wisdom, patience, by the spirits light,
By righteousness on the left hand and right,
Caring for neither calumnies nor honour,
So that he might his conscience exoner;
As a deceiver, yet approven true;
As thô well known, yet known but to a few;
As daily dying, and yet living still,
As chastened, yet above their reach to kill;
As sorrowfull, yet joying evermore;
As poor, yet making many rich in store;
In many wants, in manifold distresses,
In pinching, prison, and in wildernesses,
In painfull labours, and in weary watching,
In cold, and hunger, still in fear of catching;
In many perils, both by sea and land,
[...] enemies, and from false brethren's hand
Holland in part, Brittain, and Ireland know,
VVhat perils he was forc'd to undergo
In none of which, he any rest could find,
But everywhere, both foes & friends combin'd,
By tongue and hand, him still to persecute,
In a most keen and violent pursute:
Hence such a prise was set upon his head,
As did entice to catch him, quick or dead,
Hells hottest Harpies; Villains, vilest Vermine,
VVho by all means to take him did determine:
Therefore, in fury they the chase did follow,
By Hue and Cry, and many hideous hollow;
Through Cities, Country, Villages of Boors,
Through writtest Mosses, and through wildest Muirs,
Through highest Mountains, and remotest Glens,
Compelling him to Caves, and hidden Dens:
VVhere weary, cold, and hungry, he could find
No comfort, but what from the Heavens shin'd;
Yet after all their proud designs were done,
His work, to them prov'd Sisyphus his stone;
Still with renewed force, afresh returning,
The bush did burn, but did not wast in burning;
His despicable Followers, thô few,
The more they were afflicted, more they grew:
All Proclamations, cruel Prohibitions,
All Circuit-Courts of Spanish Inquisitions,
(Imposing conscience cozning Oaths and Bonds,
Recusants, banishing to Forreign-Lands,
Or Murdering by bloody Butchers hands
Could never either yet their cumbers finish,
Nor so much as their Numbers yet diminish,
Nor crush, nor cool his unapall'd Zeal,
Nor of his Ministry cancell the Seal,
Engraven on the hearts of many hearers,
VVho were Jehovah's followers and fearers:
VVhich now's impressed with a deeper stamp,
Since the expiring of this burning Lamp;
Whose latest sparklings hath so brightly blaz'd,
That many eyes were dazled and amaz'd,
To see now visibly without a cloud,
(And legibly in Characters of blood)
The adversaries tyranny disclos'd,
Their calumnies confute, that him oppos'd;
That those despised truths have overcome,
For which contending, he got Martyrdom.
His testimony for his Masters Cause,
The Churches Liberties, and Nations Laws;
For which in Life, he mightily contended)
Now by his Death to many much commended;
VVho searching what could be the cause, or crime,
VVherefore he lost his Life at such a time;
Did find that only he was too distinct
In speaking that, which many others think.
This was the only Crime, was on him charg'd,
Thô to the hight of hainousness enlarg'd;
Because these soul enriching Randezvouse,
Of Christs Militia, in the Fields, or House,
The Devils grand eye-sore, and great vexation,
Of all his friends, and foes of Reformation;
(VVhere hungry souls with heavenly food were nourish'd,
And where a Banner faithfully was flourish'd,
For the Regalia of the Churches Head,
And Liberties, wherewith he hath her freed)
He never suffer would to be suppressed,
Nor that the duty should not be confessed;
Now when it was declared Capital,
And when by Law discharg'd as Criminal;
And by its old Promoters now deserted,
VVhom Popish Tolerations have perverted:
In such a case he vigourously contended,
That Meetings should be valiently defended,
By Arms defensive, which the Law of Nature,
And Law of God, allowes to every creature:
VVhen now they were in daily jeopardice,
Of having blood mixt with their Sacrifice.
This also was his Crime, or rather Crown,
That he would not a Popish Monsier own;
Sitting upon a Throne of Tyranny,
Usurp'd by rapin, blood, and treachery;
Nor pay alledgiance to his Absolut pow'r,
As pimp employed for the Romish Where;
Nor say, a Robbers Sacriledgions Rod,
Was now the Sacred Ordinance of God;
When such in Sacred writ, is called rather
A Fox, or Dog, then a Politick Father.
In fine, for this he also was indyted;
Because to bear the Cross he us invited,
Rather than pay an execrable Cess,
Impos'd our Gospel meetings to suppress,
For raising Forces Tyranny to strengthen,
Our much enthraled misery to lengthen,
For ruine the weak Remnant left devoting,
The Church and State Supremacy promoting,
[...] Tests of lawless Loyalty enacted,
[...] betraying Liberty exacted,
The full amount then of his Accusation,
Of all his troubles, the alone occasion,
VVas, that at wickedness he'd never wink;
But still spoke out, what others durst but think:
From which, unto the death he would not swerve,
But boldly spake his mind without reserve,
To Prelatists, and Papists, in their fury,
And to Professors sitting on his jury:
Invincibly he all their tricks withstood,
Inflexibly resisting unto blood:
And for his Life to Supplicat disdain'd,
Lost he should have his Testimony slain'd;
By which, though blood of l [...]mb he overcam [...],
And loved [...] too de [...] at the same
VVhich s [...]fully h'affirm [...] during brea [...],
And faithfully confirmed by his death;
In such a measure of Humility,
Of Patience, Meekness, Zeal, and Constancy;
That it to Enemies hath been confounding,
To Neutralists conviction much redounding,
To Hesitants and Halters Confirmation,
And to all Zione mourners Consolation.
Hence in a bloody Chariot he hath gone,
To see, and stand before, Emmanuel's Throne;
His hands with Palms, his head with pleasant Bayes,
His Cloathes in white, do sparkle glistering Rayes
Of Glory; Glory singing, and salvation
To Him that brought him out of tribulation;
Unto the Throne and Temple of his God,
VVhere everlastingly he hath abode:
VVhere without intermission night or day,
VVhere without interruption or delay,
VVithout all cares, without all saints or feare,
VV [...]out all snares, wi [...] all plaints or t [...]s,
He [...]ves, be sings, he sees the Lamb that's [...]ing,
And unto Lovely Living VVaters leading:
VVhere leave we him, full of Jehovah's Joy,
VVhom no more sin, nor sorrow, can annoy;
And rest lamenting, while in the vale of tears,
Our growing grief, and fresh recurring fears.
An Anagram on his Name, MASTER JAMES RHENVICK I AM CHRISTs MEEK SERVANT.
Another. MASTER JAMES RENVICK MINE MARCK IS EVER THE SAME.
An Acrostick on the same.
Meekness and Magnanimity most rare,
Advanc'd thy Actions, with advantage fair,
Submissive Self-denyal, suffering slights,
Tuisted with True Zeal, for Emmanuel's Rights,
Extoll'd the Early in Esteem and Fame,
Renowned Renwick, EVERMORE THE SAME,
Jehovah, [...] Jireh was thy constant Joy,
Along thy Alwayes arduous employ:
Mag [...]'d Martyr! men the much admire
Enemies [...] Envy, and enraged ire,
Shaming them Selves, thy sufferings to bespatter
Rep [...]s Restless, with renown did scatter.
En [...] Enterprises in all dangers,
Noble thy Name have notified to Strangers.
Vexations Various, suffered variety,
Imbalm'd thy Innocence to memory.
Comfort from Christ did stop all thy Complaints
Kill'd thou for keeping, His Commandements.