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THE SACRED MINISTER: A NEW POEM, In Five PARTS; Representing his Qualifications for the MINISTRY, And his Life and Death in it.
BY AURELIUS PRUDENTIUS, Americanus.
Apostoli, et rectores reliqui, Dona, quae CHRISTUS dedit Ecclesiae: Nullibi autem dicitur e converso, dedisse Ecclesiam Apostolis, nedum rectoribus reliquis.
Pet. Cabeljavii Defensio Potestat. Ecclesiae in exercendae Disciplina. p. 272 and 273.
Ecce indocti surgunt, et coelum rapiunt; Et nos, cum nostris Disputationibus, in Carne and Sanguine volutamur.
Augustini Querela in Confessionibus suis.
Ego quidem sic judico, tum demum fore beatas Ecclesias, si veri Philosophi dent Operam Theologiae, aut philosophantur pié.
Jacobi Seegkii, Philosophi, Verba.
BOSTON: Printed by JOHN BOYLES in Marlborough-Street. MDCCLXXIII.
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THE SACRED MINISTER: A NEW POEM.
WHILE some the Hero sing, with all his Skill,
His martial Valour and his famous Deeds,
And the dire Exploits of his Dogs of War:
While others celebrate the Patriot brave,
Who shakes his Hands from Bribes, and always scorns
To be or high or rich by filthy Ways;
And who, to selfish Views and sordid ends,
Ever prefers the public Interest:
While These ill-judging will applaud a Court,
Where Falshood, Lust and Vice appear in State;
And Virtue's Semblance is the But of Scorn:
While Those regardless are of Courts or Arms,
Of Valour's Force and most advent'rous Deeds:
For they can only think and write of Love,
[Page 4]How it springs up, and how it operates
In Courts and Cities and calm rural Cots:
While Others call forth their poetic Fire,
And every Muse invoke, the Works to praise
Of wide Creation, Providence Divine,
And all the Wonders These present to View:
Behold! A feeble Genius would select
A Subject more adapted to his Thoughts:
He sings the MINISTER of Things Divine.
To shew, how he should be prepar'd and form'd;
What Piety and Learning should him fill,
And how These should be drawn to Exercise;
How he should live and how expend his Time;
How, or in House or Desk, he should discourse,
And how he worthily should quit the Stage.
This is the Work; The arduous Labour This:
'Tis great beyond his Power, who undertakes.
Therefore, O Wisdom and O Power Divine,
JESUS, of all the Deity possest
In human Nature and in human Flesh;
Who, living here, didst teach, as Man ne'er taught,
And didst in more than mortal Manner live;
And now art seated on GOD's glorious Throne;
My soul ascends to Thee with quiv'ring Wings:
Assist it's tow'ring Flight; enlarge it's Views,
And give it strength to reach it's noble End.
[Page 5]
The Prophet, who of Royal Lineage came,
But, through the Grace Divine, more dignify'd,
Esaias, when the Leprous King expir'd,
And worms were ending, as they had begun;
The living and immortal SAVIOUR saw
High on an elevated Throne above,
And with his Train the Heavenly Temple fill'd:
The Deity, as burning ones with Wings
Cov'ring their Faces and their Feet from View:
And yet as flying with expanded Wings,
Gave forth responsive Voices: These the Words:
JEHOVAH SABAOTH is wholly thrice:
His Glory is the Earth replenishing.
Such were the Voices: So HE cried aloud:
Then of the Door the stately Columns mov'd;
And the whole House was fill'd with threatning Smoke;
Smoke threatning darksome Things to Israel's House.
The Prophet then astonied,—Wo to me!
How can I live? For I'm of Lips unclean,
And I with People dwell of leprous Lips:
And yet JEHOVAH SABAOTH I've seen:
Mine eyes have view'd the King, th' enthroned King.
Then to the Prophet came a Seraph forth
With a live Coal, dispatching, in his Hand,
Which HE, with Forceps, from the Altar took:
And This HE laid upon the Prophet's Mouth:
Lo This, said HE, has gently touch'd thy Lips:
Thy Sin's expiated: Thy Filth is cleans'd.
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Reviving Tidings to the deadned Man!
He's rais'd from death, and finds new Life and Strength:
The Voice, the Word, Jehovah, then he hear'd:
Whom shall I send, HE said; and who will go
For us, as we're IMMANUEL, GOD and Man?
The Prophet, rapt and animated, cries,
Here, LORD, I am: Me with thy Pleasure send.
The fearful Message then JEHOVAH spake;
The same it was the GOD Incarnate brought,
When HE the faithless, wicked Hebrews told;
That, since themselves they made deaf, blind and hard,
Deaf, blind and hard they therefore should remain:
Nor would HE turn, and heal, their hardned Hearts.
O blest JEHOVAH, Son of GOD confess'd,
Do not, or others or unworthy me,
On such a direful Errand send as this;
Which makes my Entrails tremble, Knees to smite,
And Rottenness to penetrate my Bones.
But send thy worthless servant, who, with Those,
That are more worthy, thy free Gifts have gain'd,
The dark t' enlighten, and the stubborn bend,
To purify the filthy, and to raise
From Earth and Flesh and Sense immortal Souls,
And bring them to the Life of GOD and Heav'n.
But who dares think such high Success to find,
That his Heart has, and Lips, and Hands unclean,
And still, conversing, lives among th' impure?
The GOD of Grace indeed his Gifts bestows
On them that are rebellious Sons of Men:
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As Kings, when crown'd, with lib'ral Hand dispense
Their Coronation Medals on the Croud.
And HE, who freely dissipates these Gifts,
May bless them so as happily to guide
The souls of many to perpetual Bliss;
While they, who have them, perish in their Sins;
Forlorn, abhorr'd, unpitied in their wo.
So were the Men corrupt, who help'd to build,
For Noah's House, the Ark of Safety strong;
While they were to the wat'ry Vengeance damn'd.
Awaken'd be my Fears, great Saviour GOD,
Lest I should perish, while I others save:
And may I sedulous my Cares employ
To save myself and others gain to Bliss!
PART I.
THE Man who would be wise for winning Men,
Before he ventures on his arduous Task,
Discretely should begin his work at Home.
As he his Hands, from all that's foul, should cleanse,
And learn, instead of evil, to do well:
He should not yet, like the vain Pharisee,
Rest, if the out-side of the Cup be wash'd:
But he should get the inside purify'd,
From worldly Passions and from sensual Lusts.
Entirely and forever should his All
[Page 8]Be yielded to his Saviour, that his Whole
May sacred be to HIM, and by HIM own'd.
When thus he shall be cleans'd from Sin and Lust;
A Vessel unto Honour meet he'll prove,
Fit for his Master's Use in holy Things,
And well to ev'ry good Work thus prepar'd.
May I, howe'er unfit, be one of These!
And may all they, who Invitations have
To bear the Sanct'ary's Vessels, like them, be
Both pure and solid! May we, one and all,
For This, with constant Ardour, always pray!
Divine Enlightner of the human Race,
Enlighten Thou my Eyes with Rays Divine,
That I the Wonders of thy Law may see,
And, of thy Grace, the Glories may behold;
That so, from Glory unto Glory, I
May, by thy SPIRIT, to thine Image come.
And, O Thou, who Divinely purify'st;
While I myself would cleanse from Filthiness,
All Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit; give Help
This to do well; and, in the Fear of Thee,
Still to press on and perfect Holiness:
For I am naught without Thee; nor can do
Aught fit for Thee, or thine Acceptance fit:
Therefore to Thee myself I free resign,
With all I have: Gracious, my all receive,
And, to thy Will, completely all conform.
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Now Earth I leave; and Creatures I renounce:
They shall not hence my chosen Portion be:
My Saviour GOD is my most happy Choice:
Henceforth HE shall be all in all to me.
PART II.
THE Work's begun: The Earth's dug up; the Soil,
That's light and loose, is now remov'd away;
And firm and sure is the Foundation laid:
'Tis Vital Goodness in the Teacher's Heart.
But This alone; though noble, and it makes
The Man of real Worth, approv'd of GOD,
Useful to Men and meet for Heavenly Things;
'Twill not alone suffice the Man to make
Worthy the Name of Sacred Minister.
He should much Knowledge have and Learning deep:
For otherwise, by Laymen learn'd and Wise▪
He will be held in most profound Contempt:
Nor, for him, will his Piety obtain
To sacred Minister the due Esteem.
Some there have been, though Novices in Truth,
Who suddenly, alas! too suddenly,
Into the Teacher's Chair themselves have thrust:
Neglecting of those Ways the prudent use
Knowledge to gain, They Preachers have commenc'd,
Not yet instructed Scribes: In firm, unfledg'd,
They have the Nest forsook, and flutter'd off:
[Page 10]And yet, for them, have great Assemblies met:
The high, the low, the rich and poor have come
To hear the chirping of the harmless Doves:
And, as they hear, they're charm'd; and, with the View,
They are transported at their pretty Ways.
But the more wise and Skilful saw their Wants,
Their doleful Wants, and inward Feebleness:
And, shrugging up their Shoulders, sighing said,
How much, in Things and Persons, is there Vain!
For these same forward Creatures little know;
And, as unlearn'd, the Scriptures torture will.
If you their Declamations can but read,
Mistakes, as Alps on Alps, will rise to view:
And you'll, amazed, stand as quite aghast,
That voice and Flutter should for sense be took.
From such Examples all, who live, may learn,
That, as a Wise Guide, to secure Regard,
A Man, both Days and Nights, should poring be,
And all right Knowledge after he should search,
In order to improve and mend Mankind.
Great Skill in Languages should be obtain'd:
For sure, by This, right Meaning must be learn'd:
If You or I nor Greek nor Hebrew know,
We can't a Verse of holy Writ explain:
We may indeed, from others, take their Sense:
But are we sure it is the Sense Divine?
Therefore, the Grammar of the Text, let's learn,
That we the true Theology may find,
And may it fairly unto others shew.
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This is right Conduct: While too many slight
Such Care and Toil, and quite contented are,
That any, Sense, should gather for their Use.
Eudoxus was more conscientious far:
He studied well those Tongues, wherein GOD's Word
Was by his Spirit giv'n for human Good:
And then, his Knowledge, wisely he improv'd
The terms in every text to understand
From the vast Labours of the plodding few:
And, having found the meaning of those Terms,
He then, from grateful Knowledge, gave the Sense;
And Inspiration issued from his lips.
But O! how griev'd was he, when Men of Worth
From others took, as Sense of Books Divine,
What ne'er was there, nor thence could be deriv'd.
The sacred Forms of Speech, and of the Tongues
The Idioms, should be very justly known:
The Customs too of Nations should be learn'd,
Not only holy ones, but those profane.
The Persons, and the Places, of like Name
Should be distinguish'd, lest the teachers err,
And, into Errors, all their Hearers lead.
So should the Works remarkable be found,
To which the sacred Pages yet refer.
The ancient Isthmian and Olympic Games,
Well to relate, they should be learned well.
And all those Ways, which various Nations us'd,
In Scripture glanc'd at, they should well discern.
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The Men unlearned can't these Things explain:
For they are far beyond their narrow Ken:
If therefore they presume t' interpret them,
Mistakes and Blunders they will frequent make:
The heark'ning People cannot these perceive:
But the learn'd will, and pensive hang their Heads,
The Hearers pitying and Instructors both.
Regarding well these things, the Minister
With Care will for his People well provide:
From Morn to Night he for his Charge has Thought,
And for them often has his sleepless Nights,
That they may truly wise and happy be.
Each Week for them with Studies close begins:
Nor has he Rest or Ease, till he obtains
Such Food as may afford them Health and Joy.
Not so Incurio: He, amidst the Gifts
Of bounteous Providence, with Calmness lives▪
He happy, with a Face of Ease, appears;
And so he lumbers on throughout the Week:
Frequent he comes, where plenteous Tables are,
And various Foods and gen'rous Wines are serv'd:
At Night he plump returns, and peaceful sleeps.
The Sheep in Desart left don't press his Mind;
Till the Week closes: Then his hurried Thoughts
Return to think of Viands for the Fold:
If, for his Place, no Vicar he can gain,
He, in his hasty Way, will something get;
And, on the next day, come with easy Air
[Page 13]And face unmeaning to bring Crudities:
When the faint Flock, if not dispos'd to rest,
Look for their Food, and longing look: But ah!
They chiefly have but Words; and Words are Wind.
Such were the Jewish Scribes; When JESUS said,
Great is the Harvest; few, the Workers are:
To the great Lord of th' Harvest therefore pray,
That, for his Harvest, He would Lab'rers send.
Geron was such a Labourer betimes.
To CHRIST, and to his People for his Sake,
Sacred his Time and Strength and Studies were.
When he, for them, Divine Discourses made,
He still, as looking on, his Master ey'd;
And thought, to Him, that he must give Account:
He thought, he read, he wrote, as soon to die;
And, at his Death, t' appear before his Judge:
And, while preparing thus, he rear'd his Heart;
Great GOD and SAVIOUR, Thy Direction give;
Assist my faltering Efforts for thy Sake;
And with Success Divine bless weak Attempts:
Thus, back to Thee, shall all the Glory flow.
PART III.
THE sacred Minister is now prepar'd,
And waits the Call of Nolan Instrument:
It rings: It tolls: He gravely walks along,
[Page 14]And, with Mind Heav'nwards, to his Desk repairs:
Reaching that Place, as well as going there,
He lifts his Soul, as flies the winged Dart:
To Heav'n it goes, solliciting its Aid,
And asking it Prosperity to send.
Now, with well furnish'd Mind and warmed Heart,
He pours out sentimental, cordial Prayers;
Such as no Reader of a Book can pour.
Infatuation yet will keep it's Ground.
A well known Liturgy, the Spawn of Rome,
Must yet be us'd: And yet the piteous Priests,
Who have no Praying Powers, or none dare move,
A formal Piety encourage will:
Which, though Devotion's Name and Form it wear;
Tis not the Thing: For those confin'd to Forms
Must to low Words of others sink their Minds,
And, with sunk Minds, old Terms must mumble o'er.
Not such Coelestius: He no Crutches needs.
Pinion'd with Faith and Love he soars aloft,
And heav'nwards bears his Flock on Eagle's Wings:
They gladly mount, and think it good to rise;
Nor willing are to sink to Things below.
And now the Minister, when he has sung
With tuned Heart and Voice his LORD's high Praise,
Rises the Messages of Heav'n to speak.
These from the Oracles Divine he took:
Nor does ever a Discourse produce,
Wherein he does not fairly shew, how Men
May come to GOD by CHRIST, and blessed prove.
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The Manner of his speaking is most plain;
And yet adapted to the Truths he brings.
When he Religion's Doctrines, and its Laws,
Explains and urges, placid is his Face:
And his whole Air shews sorth his Mind serene.
If he the Promises of Grace unfolds,
He's all alive, by quickning Motives rais'd:
And, when the Terrors of Almighty Wrath
He would display, he speaks with potent Voice.
Quite seemly too his Actings all appear:
Not like to those, which Raphael drew for Paul,
That He might shew, with high uplifted Hands,
His high Dislike of Vile Idolatry,
Which in vain Athens mightily prevail'd:
Much less will he in Christian Temples use
The trifling Gestures of the Theatre.
As, in discoursing, greatly he will scorn
Of human Wisdom the enticing Words;
So, in his Method of Delivery,
He will no Garrick for a Pattern take.
But, as his Subjects variously demand,
He will or calm or vehement appear
In Word and Action, as may well become
The Words of JESUS and eternal Life.
So speaks he, as to Men, form'd from above,
Redeem'd by JESUS, Candidates for Bliss,
And yet in Danger of perpetual Woes,
These, by persuasive Motives, taught by CHRIST,
[Page 16]He wooes to Wisdom, Virtue, Happiness.
And since mere Suasions will not gain these Ends,
He lifts his Prayer, that Energy Divine
May, to his Toil, a prosperous Issue give.
The Labour done; he then quite spent returns
To bless his Household: And, though yet fatigu'd,
He's still for Labour: For he loves his Work;
Nor thinks, that all is done, while Part remains:
This Part at Home, or, he, abroad, performs:
For, by his Lips and Walk, he preaches still,
And thus the Word of Life holds forth to all.
PART IV.
THE Minister, as Preaching, has been seen:
Now let us view his Conduct and his Ways.
As he himself, with all his mental Powers
And his whole Body to his GOD has giv'n;
He hence employs himself and all for GOD,
As bought for HIM, and for HIM set apart.
He therefore won't spend Time, as many do.
To earthly Men and Things he'll be no Dupe.
True he must eat and drink and slumbers take;
And he submits to These, as Nature claims:
For he well knows, that, by Recruits from These,
He, to serve GOD and Men, is fitted well.
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Friends he would have: But he's afraid of These,
Lest they should steal away his precious Time:
Therefore not long with them will he abide.
And, if to him they friendly Visits make,
Them he'll not urge to make their Visits long;
For he wants Aids, not Hindrances, of Works.
If men of Wealth and Influence him invite
To their full Houses, he will sometimes go;
But then to answer kind and pious Ends:
Yet often he will not their Calls accept;
When, modest, he can fair Excuses make.
But, when or Friends beguile or great ones force;
So that, of lost Time, he may well complain:
Then sorrowing he retires; to Work he goes,
And, by fresh Diligence, repairs his Loss.
Himself he'll not entangle with the World:
Quite happy he, if he a Partner has
That will take, from him, Earth's Incumbrances,
And make him free to mind his great Employ:
But if, not yet, he has his faithful Mate;
Some Friend he'll find t' abate his worldly Cares.
If Sicknesses off from his Studies take,
And pains afflictive Molestation bring,
From These, he will the best of Lessons learn:
And, when, by good Advice and prudent Care,
From These he's freed; he with new Vigour ther.
[Page 18]Goes to his Labours, and makes such Dispatch,
That he redeems the Hours he grieving spent.
When Sicknesses do, on his People, seize,
And any Sorrows lie upon their Hearts;
The Minister will then sweet Kindness shew,
And, by his Visits, bear away their Pains:
But to those, chiefly, quite of weary Minds;
As Sinners great, who know their mighty Guilt,
And hence their GOD dread as their Enemy;
He will the Tongue, that's learned, lenient bring
To dissipate their Fears and sooth their Minds
He'll say; Not willing is the GOD of Grace,
That any perish, but that all repent:
And He so lov'd the world, He gave his Son,
That who on Him believes with cordial Faith
Perish should not, but have eternal Life:
And, of this Life, our Jesus has the Words;
Who freely all to come to Him invites,
To teach and rule and save them perfectly:
Nor will he any, who so come, reject:
Then come to Him, and of his fulness take:
And, in his Favour, let your Soul delight.
All this, and more, the learn'd one softly speaks:
Whence the dejected Patient, with rais'd Head
And Brow relax'd and anxious Breast remov'd,
Blesses the Man, that calm'd his ruffled Soul,
And blesses GOD his Saviour for the Man.
This Minister is rarely seen abroad;
But, when he goes, treats all with Courtesy:
[Page 19]Whether, in House or Streets, he any sees,
To all he good and sweet Behaviour shews.
As he Relations various sustains,
In all These well, he's careful, to conduct.
All, whom CHRIST JESUS will to Heav'n receive
He will receive and own his Brethren dear:
All, who CHRIST's Image have, be will approve,
Nor any, who this Image have, condemn.
To Young and old he mild Instruction gives,
And Counsels sweeter than Hyblean Combs:
And, if, in Speech and Action, some are ill,
These in parental Way grave he'll rebuke.
As he would glad receive, to all he does:
Nor would in Heart or Speech or Conduct wrong
The lowest Man, or his word Enemy.
And, while he Justice does and Mercy shews:
As with his GOD agreed, he humbly walks:
The SAVIOUR still he eyes as Jesus LORD.
So doing all, that's right, as unto Him;
And still, in doing well, his Pattern minds.
And, while he craves, he still depends on CHRIST.
For Grace to live, as he has taught and liv'd.
What's crooked in him is not yet quite strait:
And, what is wanting, he can't number yet:
And hence he still on the Redeemer trusts
[Page 20]For Pardon and Acceptance with his GOD,
And a sure Title to immortal Bliss.
Such is the sacred Minister in truth!
The living Teacher of the Christian Life:
Not like St [...]-Player, mimicking a Prince:
But, as a Child, resembling Heav'n's high King.
Should Men him praise, This but excites his Fear,
Lest GOD lose Glory; and he gain soul Pride,
And into Satan's Condemnation sink.
But, if Men basely him defame, traduce,
And of him falsely wicked Things relate;
Careful he'll shun those Things of ill Report,
And, of those ill Things, will th' Appearance shun:
For the false Men he'll pray; and them he'll bless;
And, when he can, will chearful do them good.
PART V.
ADvanc'd in Life and Wisdom; Grown in Grace;
Improv'd in Knowledge of GOD's glorious Son,
And in his Likeness: So complete in Him;
And ripen'd now for Happiness complete:
Behold! The Minister should finish well.
Lo! Now he daily dies, expecting Death,
And, for it's coming, daily he prepares.
Those Things, that, in his last Hours, may give Pain,
[Page 21]He, as the Gates of Hell, with Care avoids:
And he, with Care, will all those Things perform,
Which, well perform'd, he will, when dying, wish.
He every Office does of Righteousness,
Of Love and Goodness; and in Season too,
Lest he the fair Occasion should let slip.
He'll Watch and Pray, that, aided from above,
At last his Faith and Patience may not fail.
He will sit Counsels, and Instructions give,
Public and private, as a dying Man:
And, faithful, he will Charges fit dispense
To all, with whom connected, as they come;
And These, as ready to depart, pronounce
With tender Love and grave Authority.
Tokens he'll grant to Friends of Love sincere:
And, while the Prayers of all he humble asks;
He will Heav'ns Blessings wish to all around.
As he would, living, live unto his LORD;
So, to his LORD, when dying, he would die:
Thus dying he, as living, is his LORD's.
Greatly he dies, commending Glory's King;
His Truths applauding and his holy Ways
To all about him: Urging all of these
To fellow him, as he has meant and try'd
To follow the Redeemer; great and fair,
Beyond the human or Angelic Hosts:
[Page 22]And, if they aught have seen in him amiss,
All this he kindly cautions to avoid.
And now what yet remains to do? To die!
No! This is done: Death's Bitterness is past.
O Death, he cries, disarm'd, where is thy Sting?
And hast thou, Hades, gain'd the Victory?
Tis false: For I am more than Conqueror:
Tis GOD, through JESUS CHRIST, the Conquest gives:
Therefore to Him is this great Vict'ry due:
And I will ever it ascribe to HIM.
The CONCLUSION, or EPILOGUE.
Tis finish'd well. The crowning Act is clos'd.
Applauses give, ye Men and Angels too:
For the great LORD and Judge of all approves:
Well done my Servant good, HE says, now come,
And enter joyous to thy LORD's high Joy:
As Thou hast, in a few Things, faithful been;
O'er many Things I will thee Ruler make.
Behold the Man, whom Heav'n's immortal King
Delights to honour: He's forever blest:
Amen! Let Heav'n with Hallelu-JAH ring.
THE END.
N. B. In Page 14, Line 3d from the Bottom, the Pronoun he is wanting.
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A Table of the CONTENTS.
- The Subject preferred and chosen.
- The Invocation.
- The Minister's Thoughts of his arduous Work, and the vast Importance of preparing for it.
- The Minister then is displayed in five Particulars.
- 1. His internal Piety.
- 2. His extensive Knowledge and Learning.
- 3. His Preaching, as to the Matter and Manner of it.
- 4. His virtuous and useful Life and Conversation.
- 5. His Manner of finishing his Ministry and Life.
- The Conclusion, in a brief Epilogue.