DEATH and the GRAVE, Without either Sting or Victory: or, A few Lines not without Reason, shewing to the World something of the worth of that Able and Humble Minister of the Gospel Mr. Christopher Fowler, who departed this Life upon the 15. of January 1677/6.
Are these my words that here are put in Print,
'Tis God clears
Fowler, I am Passive in't.
SUrpris'd again am I! by things thus vain,
I thought they had me wain'd, but now again
My heart was caught with
Fowler, and I Cry
To think that he too, should be Vanity;
Whom none could silence, but Death, and that dull Pit,
Bare Sickness could not keep him from the Pulpit.
O how his hearers mourn! by sight I speak,
'Tis well each full. Heart can at two Eyes Leak.
Their weepings such, a Parrellel I lack,
where all are Mourners, though but few in Black.
He us'd to sit with them, hear at Christ's Table,
In a low seat, though he was Honourable.
Christ saw him so, and said unto him Friend,
Come sit here with me at the upper End.
Now he with worship is gon to that Throne
He knew so well, yet he was better known.
But O how dark Gods House grows in our day,
A lass, our Landlord takes our Lights away.
My Eyes are Dim, or else in my Souls sight,
This Window lately stopt, gave in great light:
The Sun-shon Clear through him, he was a Man,
Who as a Pillar for Gods Truth did stand.
He had much grace, yet understand a right,
Christ was the Supper, he did but Invite.
Ah! he could speak the speech of
Canaans Land,
None but Christs-Schollers him could understand.
Though many came to hear, from Satan's School,
'Twas such did tearm this Usher such a Fool;
But it's to them Christ threatneth Hell Fire,
And till you meet the Judg, he doth Retire,
Leaving his two last Sermons for your Warning,
His dying Words was, Lord, forgive their Scorning.
But
England, England, we fear sad's thy hap,
Thy Hedg is broke, yet few do see the Gap.
Much wrath sure comes together, cause God makes
The Gap yet wider, pulling up more stakes.
Which doth presage no good, it should affright,
To see thy Watch thus drop in thy Midnight;
This Watchman did give warning, whilst he stood
That Sin would Ruin, therefore will thy Blood.
If thou miscarry, he on the right Shelf,
Not on the Watchman, but upon thy Self,
Did he not say Christ came and took our Evils,
To overthrow both Power and Work of Devils.
Shall we maintain, O then, that Wickedness,
That put a Saviour under such distress;
O no dear Lord, we must be holy here,
If we be happy when we disappear.
Did he not say, had God made thee a Beast,
Doubtless thy being would at Death have ceast.
But there's no help, now God hath made thee Man,
But thou must be allways, do what thou Can.
Did he not say, there's nought but Sin God hates,
And none can Love it that to him relates.
Did he not say, such Faith is but a Cheat
Which those pretend, yet can use deceit.
Can Swear, can Drink, can Scoff, can Lye, can Whore,
Yet say they hope to besav'd evermore.
Did he not say true Faith, and Holyness,
Shew forth each other, breath doth Life Express,
We might as well go take heat from the Sun,
As Works from true Faith where it is begun.
He told of Hell, he said that men might Fear,
Yea know it's Torment, and might not go there.
Did he not say Eternity makes haft
To us in Scripture, and we run as fast
To it in course of nature, it's a wonder
If two thus runing, can be long a sunder;
How light he thought this World, is evident,
With Food and Raiment we should be content.
The whole Creation he said with its store,
Can give but this, and we can use no more.
Such as know Sin, do understand Christs merrit,
A Pardon suits with a condemned Spirit.
Did he not press us to see God in all,
In
Shimea's Curse
David did hear God call.
Afflictions do not rise out of the dust,
Those that know God, do know him to be just.
Most of Christs Sermons was 'gainst meer just men,
Our danger lies in lawful things, O then,
As he would say, the Ox, the Farm, the Wife,
Kept most from tasting of the bread of Life.
Yet he did Preach good works, the only thing,
But yet to trust in, he made Christ our King,
Did he not prove God's Laws to be our Rule,
And Christ our Righteousness, who on a Mule
Rid to
Jerusalem, went weeping thus,
To give such Righteousness, God first gave us.
A perfect one Gods Law on us requires,
And we in this may answer its desires.
Did he not humbly pray, when he had done,
If its my Fancy, that from me now run.
Lord scatter it, yea, let it be as dust
To tread upon, that none to it may trust.
But if it's truth spoke from the word of truth,
A message from the Lord; then let both youth
And old Age two live to it, else he told,
That very Word in Judgment would take hold.
Yea, he would say, we hear the word as man's,
and that's the reason it for little stands.
Though it's a Treasure that through Pipes doth drain,
And it's our Joy, its Spring doth yet remain:
How full, yet mild, he answered any doubt,
Though some quear'd as he Preach't, to put him out.
He Preach'd one Sermon lasted thirty year,
By a good Life he did his doctrine clear.
In season, yea and out, this Teacher Taught,
Yet was he not for this to Heaven brought.
His guists could not be pent in by a glass,
Only Gods Spirit he their bounder was.
What shall we say, his hearers so lament,
It speaks he gave them more then bare content.
He was a man for Learning, Grace and Guifts,
To set up Christ, few like to
Fowler lifts;
Yea we will yeild he was the Drunkards Song,
Yea the Prosane men's Scoff he dwelt among.
As
David was, then sure these went one way,
And both refer their C
[...]use till Judgment day.
For Scripture Language, Scoffers would him Scoff,
'Twas ignorance Alass did make them laugh.
If any say, at what Scripture my Friend?
Nahum the second and the latter end.
As he but nam'd it, yea he bore their Scorns
Joshua the sixth, where it speaks of Rams Horns.
And many more of such like I could tell,
But now alass is fallen in
Israel.
A mighty man for which my heart now bleeds,
I mourn, I mourn, and so may he that Reads.
Did he for Scoffers ever change his tone,
From that plain way by which he made Christ known.
Though he had parts enough to get him Fame,
Yet he for Souls good, valu'd not his name.
Inform Informers, then the King of Kings,
Is angry cause they Force such birds to wings
Which us'd to sing to him, who owns the cage,
As reason is if they will not asswage.
Inform them then that he hath bid a Trap
Will catch all vermine, if Death on them Clap.
He'l hold them fast for robing of his Cages,
Whose a great King, and like to him his rage is.
If this and more almost a stranger tell,
What may they say that knew him very well.
AN ACCROSTICK.
C An'd mourn for Sin that did thy Saviour pierce,
H ark hark thee then, dear
Fowler's in a Hearse,
R un to it then, and know the reason why,
I hear de doth but in a S'umber lie,
S tep then to Death, and make him show bis Sting,
T ruly saies Death, I none to him could bring:
O nly I cast his Corps into a Trance,
P uerly they Sleep, his Soul I did advance.
H e'l wake again cause he had a Reprieve,
E arly when morning comes, you may believe,
R un back and tell his Friends they need not grieve.
F riends did you hear what Death saies? yes we do,
O that he may say thus much of us too.
W hat, did you love his Company so well,
L ive as he did, and you may with him dwell.
E ndless are Joys, where Friends mnst never part,
R un where this Treasure is, and leave thy heart.
HIS EPITAPH.
Here lies a house pul'd down, whilst it stood Buils,
It was with grace within most richly guilt.
Hear it mu
[...]t lie till th' Landlord comes, and then,
It must in Glory be built up agen.
A few Lines which was dropt Jan. the 4th 1676. being the Thursday before Mr. Fowler Preacht his two last Sermons to his Congregation, and is supposed to be the occasion of his Preaching from those words, John 16. vers. 8. And was dropt in Love for the Incouragment of him and his Hearers. Intitled, Nothing but Truth.
Dear
Fowler thou art much Envy'd
By such as cannot thee gainsay,
Thy Doctrine by Gods word is tri'd;
But such whose Doctrine from it stray.
Raise falce Reports for their defence,
The Gospel by thee shines so bright;
And's fain to say thou speaks Nonsence,
For to extinguish thy great Light.
Just as they did with
Paul before,
What will this Babler say they said,
To make his Zeal and Doctrine Poor,
A mad man two of him they made,
Cause he made Christ of most Repute,
As
Fowler doth, this clears our Eyes,
Reproach or naught must them Confute,
Cause no man Living is so wise.
The Rage of Satan sure is great,
For Taking Arrows from Gods Quiver,
This
Fowler shoots at Satans seat,
Yea takes his Fowl out of his River,
This
Fowler two doth hit the
Pope,
That subtil Fowl, a Bird of Pray,
Makes some in darkness for him Grope,
Who cannot answer by fair Play.
The
Quaker, yea and the
Socinean,
Hates
Fowler cause he exalts Christ,
And jump together in Opinion,
To set up man and good works highest.
The scoffing Athist two comes in,
And joyns himself with each bad thing,
And though he counts a Lye no sin,
Yet as he saies the rest report.
The hardened sinner two bears part,
Cause
Fowler shoots at his fowl trade,
And though with Lies he guards his Heart,
Yet God hath him a
Fowler made.
For truth by him doth cast such light
As Baffles every Bat and Owl,
Yea all that fly in Popish Night,
And doth discover unclean Fowl.
The Seed he Sows is Pure and good,
Then one may know who Sows these Tears,
'Tis Satan sows them in his Brood,
Who always deals in such light VVares.
As Christ will judg, so men should Preach,
And how plain he says, go ye Curs'd,
Such as smooth Sinners should not Teach,
Cause Sinners will to Hell be forc'd.
Familier Preaching then is best,
In plainness thou dost show thy Parts,
VVith Christ thou entertainst thy Guest,
Not with thy Siences and Arts.
And such as Seoff at Holyness,
Or Jest with Scripture in our Nation,
Will find when Death shall them Ʋndress,
That Holyness was the best Fashion.
Yea, such as dayly bost of Sin.
If for their Pains, they look for Praise,
Let them have Patience and begin,
To bost of Death and Judgment days.
Therefore thy clearing day doth hast,
When these poor men will change their Story,
Meanwhile thy gists spend not in wast,
For which we give to God the Glory.
This being so before his Death, makes the thing more remarkable, and was put with these by the desire of some.
FINIS.