AN ELEGIE, UPON The Death, of that Famous and Faithful 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 Faithful 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, Israel's Charot's gone,
When yet, alas! their Mantle's left with none,
When many Hypocrites CHRIST's Fan discovers,
When few are left, that are his loyal Lovers,
When for his Laws, these few are sore oppressed,
[Page] 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 set 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 Tyrranny, are own'd for Judges,
When now like stupid Asles, Men are mute,
When such Usurpers challenge absolute
And arbitrary power, to sacrifice
Religion, Laws, and Lives, and Liberties;
When faithful gospel preachers are so few,
Insnaring times, to give a warning due;
When now foul murdering wolfes, Christ's flock devour,
When watch-men wating are on Zions Tower,
When few that's called do 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 absolute pow'r is recognosc'd,
And all its proud encroachings are ingross'd,
Our Laws Divine, Humane, all made void,
Religious legal bulwarks all destroy'd,
All Blasphemy, Idolatry, and Sin.
[...]ow suffered, yea invited to come in,
[...] Church of all her priviledges robb'd,
[Page] And with a Kiss, under the fifth rib stobb'd;
[...] 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 Carrasses,
Bewitched with this intoxicating drink,
Which Hell did brew, and Rome with Art did blink:
Cast in a deep Zeal quenching Lethergie,
Purchasing hereby ease, and liberty,
On terms of selling truth, and shifting duty;
Whereby Christ's bride's depriv'd of all her beauty.
In such a day to lose a faithful witness,
And champion accomplished with fitness
To strive for CHRIST's prerogatives, and laws,
Must be bemoan'd by all that love his cause;
Come therefore all ye Doves, that dwell i'th rock,
Come and deplore this wrath presaging stroke;
Come chased birds hotly pursu'd to mountains;
Come hunted harts, which pant and pray for fountains
Come wandring sheep, without a sheepherd straying;
Come hidden ones, afraid of false bewraying;
Come all ye faithful followers of the Lamb,
Whose heart 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 Abingilioch,
To Marocks towering hights, and heads of [...]illoch;
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 we 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 GOD's counsel, and revealed
Truths, which alive h'asserted, 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 val's with sad complaints,
Whereof the eho 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;
[...]ion hath lost, by this complex disaster,
The scattered sheep, a most laborious Leader;
Poor hungry Souls, have lost a painful Feeder;
The Sufferers, have lost a Sympathiser,
The doubtful 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 deserrers, and Christs truths denyers,
May boldly now proceed in their backsliding,
Since they that 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 irrepairable 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 meditate,
What further sorrows may't prognosticate?
Our misimprovements lets now confess
Of such enjoyments, our unworthiness
Of Renwicks gracious Message, little pris'd,
And of his percious 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 degenerate age;
The perishing of worthies must presage,
That they delivered are from that which we
[Page] 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;
Which 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,
Which malice did contrive, and madness scatter;
Which fraud invented, as its father fain'd
Fury did vent, and folly intertain'd.
Now shall his Name in Monuments of praise,
(Which to his fame posterity shall rise)
Still stand recorded, that he was a Martyr,
Fruitful in life, and faithful 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 piety, and humble self denial,
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:
Which 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 fram'd,
A Workman needing not to be asham'd;
In preaching all the Counsel GOD reveal'd,
His Ministry on many souls was seal'd;
Which in his Masters strength he did commence,
And unto its fulfilment did advance,
[Page] Against the violentest opposition,
That ever any Youth in his condition,
Had to conflict with, and at such a [...]on,
When 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, and Vassals of the Pope,
Who did pursue him with all rage and rigour,
With might, and malice, violence and vigour:
Those Brethren also, whom, thô still he lov'd,
He could not joyn with, but their sins reprov'd,
Who 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 foul Complyances involv'd.
Or those to daub and plaister were resolv'd,
Or shamfully 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 vigorously 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 maugre all assaults, his bow abode
In strength, his hands confirm'd by Iacobs 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;
[...] painful preaching, visiting, baptising,
[Page] In conference, 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,
Than 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 charity unfeigned,
By verity 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 chastned, yet above their reach to kill;
As sorrowful, yet joying evermore;
As poor, yet making many rich in store;
In many wants, in manifold distresses,
In pinching, prison, and in wildernesses,
In painful labours, and in weary watching,
In cold, and hunger, still in fear of catching;
In many perils, both by sea, and land,
From enemies, and from false brethren's hand:
Holland in part, Britain, and Ireland know,
What perils he was forc'd to undergo:
In none of which he any rest could find,
But every where, both foes and 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,
And did entice to catch him, quick or dead,
[Page] Hells hottest Harpies, Villians, vildest Vermine,
Who 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, Countrie, Villages of Boors,
Through wettest Mosses, and through wildest Muits,
Through highest Mountains, and remotest Glens,
Compelling him to Caves and hiden Dens:
Where 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 renowned force, a fresh returning,
The bush did burn, but did not wast in burning;
His despicable Followers, tho few,
The more they were afflicted, more they grew:
All Proclamation, 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 Number yet deminish,
Nor crush, or cool his unapall'd Zeal,
Nor of his Ministry cancel the Seal,
Engraven on the hearts of many hearers,
Who were Iehovah's followers and fearers:
Which 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 dazl'd 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.
[Page] 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;
Who searching what could be the cause, or crime,
Wherefore 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 hinousness enlarg'd:
Because these Soul-enriching Rendezvouse,
Of Christs Militia, in the Fields, or House,
The Devils grand-eye-sore, and great vexation,
Of all his friends, and foes of Reformation:
(Where hungry souls with Heavenly food were nourish'd,
And where a Banner faithfully was flourish'd,
For the Regalia of the Churches Head,
And Libe [...]ies, 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,
Whom Popish Tolerations have perverted:
In such a case he vigorously contended,
That Meetings should be valiantly defended,
By Arms defensive, which the Law of Nature,
And Law of God, allows to every Creature;
When 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 Monster 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 whore;
Nor say, a Robbers Sacriledgious Rod,
[Page] 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, meettings 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,
For Tests of lawless Loyalty enacted,
And for betraying Liberty enacted,
The full amount then of his Accusation,
Of all his troubles, the alone occasion,
Was that at wickedness be'd never wink;
But still spake 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,
Lest he should have his Testimony stain'd
By which, through blood of Lamb he overcame,
And lov'd not Life too dearly for the same:
Which fruitfully h'affirmed during breath,
And faithfuly confirmed by his death;
[...]n 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 Zions mourners Consolation.
Hence in a bloody Chariot he hath gone,
To see, and stand before, Emmanuel's Throne;
[Page] His hands with Palms, his head with pleasant Bayes,
His Cloaths 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,
Where everlasting he hath abode;
Where without intermission night or day,
Where without interruption or delay,
Without all cares, without all faints or fears,
Without all snares, without all plaints or tears,
He serves, he sings, he sees the Lamb that's feeding,
And unto Lovely Living Waters leading:
Where leave we him, full of Iehovah's Joy,
Whom no more sin, or sorrow, can annoy;
And rest lamenting, while in the vale of tears,
Our growing grief, and fresh recurring fears.