A44693:21
A sermon on the much lamented death of that reverend and worthy Servant of…
A sermon on the much lamented death of that reverend and worthy Servant of Christ Mr. Richard Adams, M.A. sometime fellow of Brazen-Nose College in Oxford, afterwards, minister of St. Mildred Bread Street, London, more lately, pastor of a congregation in Southwark, who deceased Febr. 7th, 1697/8 preached, February the 20th, 1698 / by John Howe.A sermon on the much lamented death of that reverend and worthy Servant of Christ Mr. Richard Adams, M.A. sometime fellow of Brazen-Nose Colledge in Oxford, afterwards, minister of St. Mildred Breadstreet, London, more lately, pastor of a congregation in SOuthwark, who deceased Febr. 7th, 1697/8 preached, February the 20th, 1698 / by John Howe.
London: printed by S. Bridge for Tho. Parkhurst, 1698
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. As to what requires Explication, Here we must show you what the Object of this Desire is, in the first Place; and then secondly, Show you what this Desire, with the Judgment unto which it is conformable, imports and carries in it. Then we shall proceed to consider the grounds, both with Reference to Christians in General, and the faithful Ministers of Christ in Special, of their having this as an habitual Temper of Spirit belonging to them.
1. We are to consider the Object, which this Disposition of Spirit, here described, has Reference to. And that is Two-fold, Privative, and Positive. There is
1. The Privative Object, that this Disposition has Reference to; and that is, departing from hence. Their desire is to be gone, not to stay always here, i. e. as to any Concern of their own. Indeed upon other Accounts, abstracted from their own and more important, there may be Considerations that may induce their willingness to stay; But as to their own Concerns, the Privative Object of their Desire, is, to be dissolved, ⟨p. 11⟩or to be gone, [Greek or Hebrew], they would fain be dissolved; take that reading, and this is such a ones sense, I would fain have my Bonds and Shackles taken off, I would be loose, not be always confined to a Body of Sin and Death, and to a vain and wicked World: For these are the things to which we are united: Or take the other reading that are to be left, in this departure. To depart, What are we to depart from? Why the Gravamina, the most grievous things are, a body of Sin and Death, and a vain and sinful World. When God sees good, I would depart, says such a one, from these irksome grievous Things, that, while they detain me, Torment me every hour. And then