The Works of the late Reverend and Learned Mr. Joseph Stennett : in five volumes ; to which is prefix'd some account of his life (Volume 1) online

of his ftudies, and the condudl of his future
life : and having charged upon them all a
due obedience to their mother, he preffed
them inafpeciai manner to a proper concern

for



of Mr. Jofeph Stennett. J5

for their fouls ; declaring to them with the
greateft aflurance, and a pleafant fmile in his
countenance/' That if they were found walk-
" ing in the ways of true religion, his God
" would be their God, to whofe providence
" he could in faith commit them." He
likewife fignified to feveral about him, in a
calm and fedate manner, a firm and well
grounded hope of a blefled condition in the
eternal world. And to one in particular, who
a{ked him in what difpofition his mind
was, under his low ilate of body, and in
the prolped: of his great change : " 1 re-
" joice, faid he, in the God of my falva-
" tion, who is my flrength and my God."
Thus he gradually funk away j and flepc
in the Lord on the eleventh of July 17 13,
and in the forty ninth year of his age.

His acSive mind was indeed removed
out of a weak and crazy tabernacle, from
which it had often groaned for a releafe ;
and he left a world of labours, cares, and
many forrows. But the lofs of a perfoii
endowed with fuch valuable accomplifh-
ments, and fo ufeful to the world, juft in
the maturity of his years, was an unfpeak-
able affliction to his friends, and greatly
laniented by all the lovers of learning and
virtue who were acquainted with him ; fe-
veral of whom came from London and
other parts, to attend his body to the grave,
in the church-yard of Hitchenden in the
county of Bucks, where it waits for the re-
furredion of the juft,

I



^6 Some account of the Life Sec, ^
I fliall finld^ this account with the follov^
ing epitaph to the memory of Mr. Stennett,
drawn up by one of his friends.

M. S.

lOSEPHI STLNNETT Theologi INSIGNIS
PRAECLARJS ET INGENII tT^ERVDITlONIS DOTIBVS ORNATI
QVIBVS ETIAM TANTA PIETAS A PRIM IS ACCE.^SIT ANNIS
VT VTRVM DOCT:oR an MELIOK VIR ESSET
AMBIGVVM PELIQ3'-ER1T
IN REBVS DIVIM;. VF,RS/,TI.^.''TMVS
OMNES SACRI MVNERIS PARTEi- CVRAri5i,IME PEREGIT
FIDEMQVE CHRISTIANAM CVM VITAE INTEGRITATE CONIUNCTAM
HAVD MINORI DILIGENTIA SVO EXEMPLO EXORNARE CONATVS EST
QV'AM STVDIO ET ELOQVENTIA ALIORVM APPROBATION!
TAM CONCIONIBVS QVAM SCRIPTIS COMMEKDARE
MVSAS ETIAM QVAS PIE CA.STEQ\'E COLVIT
AD DIVINI AMORIS LAVDES MAGNIQ}E REDEMTORIS SACRA CELEBRAND
EA Q.UA POLLEBAT ARTE ADHlEViT
AT KIHIL HVMANVM A SE ALIENVM EXISTIMANS
NECDE REBVS QyoQVE CIVILIBVS OMNINO CVRAM ABIECIT
SED PROVT OCCASIO POSTVLARET
AVT APVD PRINCIPKM GRATVLANDI CAVSA ORATOREM EGIT
AVT IVRA PVBLICA ET LIBERTATEM SCRIiTlS VINDXAVIT
QVANQVAM AVTEM SEMPER DE SE MODESTE ADMODVM SENSERIT
BON0SQ.VE OMNES AMORE SIT AMPLEXVS
QV'AE IN SACRIS TAMEN LITERIS PRAESCRIl'TA IVDICAVIT
NVLLO NEQVE COMMODO NEQVE HONuRE SVO POTVIT ADDVCI

QVO MINVS CONSTANTER EIS ADHAERERET
NATVS A. D. MDCLXIIl ABENDONIAE IN AGRO BERCHENSl
LONfclNVM SE CONTVLIT ANNO MDCLXXXV
VBI TRIENNIO POST VXOREM DVXIT SVSANNAM GILL
PIA ET HONESTA STIRPE PROGENITAM
CVIVS PATER GALLIAM NATALE SOLVM
MAGNASQJ'E ILLIC FACVLTATES RELIGIONIS CAVSA RELIOVERAT
DLINLEPS ANNO MDCXC AD SACRVM PASTOR'.S OFFICIVM COOPTATVS
GREGEM FIDEI SVAE COMMISSVM
VIGILANTER PaSCERE ET CVSTODlRE PERSEVERAVIT
DONEC STVDIIS ET LABORIBVS CVRARVMQVE MOLE OPPRESSVS
EX VITA Dl.SCEDENS IN CHRISTQ PLACIDE -OBDORMIVIT
V ID, IVLII A. D. MDCCXIII AETATIS SVAE XLIX
VIpVA ET QVATVOR Ll'bERlS SVPERSTrrJBVS SlBI RELICTIS



CONTENTS

OF THE

FIRST VOLUME.



SERMON I.

THE reafonablenefs and advantages of
an early converlion to God demon-
ftrated j from Ecckf.xn. i. Remember now
thy creator in the days of thy youth, while
the evil days come not, nor the years draia
nighj when thou jhalt fay, I have no plea-
fure in them, Page i.

Sermon II. on the fame text. 49:

Sermon III. on the fame text. 10 1.

SERMON IV,

The groans of a faint, under the burden of

a mortal body. A fermon. preach'd at the

' funeral of Mr. John Belcher^ late minifter

of the gofpel, April i, 1695. from 2 Cor.

V. 4. For we that are in this tabernacle

* d9



CONTENTS.

do groan J bei?ig burdened : not for that we
would be unclothed^ but clothed upon^ that
mortality might be Jhvallowed up of life.

Page 151.

SERMON V.

x\ fermon preach'd on I'hurfday the 7th of"
September^ iyo\. being the day appointed
by her majefty for a folemn thankfgiving
to ahiiighty God for the late glorious vic-
tory obtained over the French and Bava-
rians at Blenheim near Hochfiet^ by the
confederate forces under the command of
the duke of Marlborough j from Judges v.
31. So let all thy enemies perijlj, O Lord :
but let them that love him be as the fun
"when he goes forth in his might. • 213.

SERMON VI.

A fermon preach'd on Thurfday the 27th of
yune, 1706. being the day appointed by
her majefty for a folemn thankfgiving to
almighty God for the late glorious pro-
grefs of her majefty's arms, and thofe of
her allies, in Flanders and Spain ; from
T)eut. xxxiii. 29. Happy art thou, O Ifrael !
Who is like unto thee^ O people, faved by
the Lord ! the JJjteld of thy help, and who
is the fivord of thy excellency ! A)id thine
enemies Jhall be found liars unto thee ; and
thou (halt tread upon their high places. 259.

SER^



CONTENTS,

SERMON Vli.

A fermon preach'd on the ift of May, 1707.
being the day appointed for a publick
thankfgiving for the happy union of Eng-
land and Scotland ; from Judges v. latter
part of the 15th verfe. — For the divifions
of Reuben, there were great thoughts of
heart. Page 310.

SERMON VIII.

A fermon preach'd on T^hurfday the 17th of
February, 1708-9. being appointed by her
majefty for a folemn thankfgiving to al-
mighty God, for the many and great fuc-
cefles of the confederate arms this lafl
campaign; from Gen, xiv. 18, 19, 20.
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought
forth bread and wine : and he was the
prieji of the mofi high God. And he blejfed
him, and faid -, Blejfed be Abram of the
mofi high God, pojjefor of heaven and earth.
And blejfed be the mofi high God, who hath
delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And
he gave him tithes of all. '341'

SERMON IX.

The reft of the people of God. A funeral
fermon occafioned by the death of the

reverend



CONTENTS.

reverend Mr. 'John Piggott, late minifter
of the gofpel. Preach'd March 29, 17 13;
from Heb. iv. 9. There remaineth therefore
a reji to the people of God. Page 3 83.



Lalel'j publifi*ci,

SERMONS preach'd by the late Reverend and
Learned Dr. John Gale. To which is pre-
fix'd his Life.

Reflexions on Mr. Wairs Hiftory of Infant-Baptifm.
In feveral Letters to sl Friend. By the fame Author.



ne



( I )




The reajonablenejs and advan-^
tages of an early converjion to
God demonjirated.

S E R M O N I.

EccLES. xii, I.

Remember now thy creator in the days of
thy youth, while the evil days co?ne not,
nor the years draw nigh, when thou Jlo alt
fay, 1 have no j^ lea fur e in them,

, O W much foever the thoughts
of youth are bufied with the
amufing entertainment of the
many fenfible objedtsthat accoft
them, and thereby rendered un-
apt for ^ny ferious- reflections
on the vanity of the world, and on the ex-
cellency and happinefs of a fpiritual and
Vol. I. B heavenly




2 The reafonablenefs and advantages

heavenly converfation ; yet when reafon, ex-
perience, and religion, all confpire to befpeak
their attention (as they do in our text, and
indeed in this whole book) one might well
expedl that many would have the juftice, or
prudence, or at leaft the curiofity, to give
three fuch monitors a hearing.

When a prince excelling all other men In
wifdom, and other monarchs in wealth and
fplendor, has fo much charity for mankind
as to turn a preacher ^ j who would not be
ambitious to become his auditor ? The news
of his wifdom and grandeur drew the queen
of Sheba frof?t the iit??iofi parts of the earth \
to become an immediate and admiring wit-
nefs of what Ihe had before, at a diftance,
and but imperfedly heard : fame it felf, which
ufes fo mightily to inhance the glory of other
princes, having, it feems, detrafted from his ;
which fo far exceeded the common ftandard,
that it was but faintly reprefented by thofe
encomiums, which might have been juflly
counted drained hyperboles, when applied to
others. Who would not then at leaft fo
far imitate that generous princefs, as to re-
colled his roving thoughts from the "ends of
the earth, whither they are prone to wander,
to fix them on a fubjedl, which the great and
wife Solomon recommends to youth with
the greateft advantage of reafon, and ftrength
of argument ? Curiofity, if no other confide-

> Eccl. I. I *" I Kings lo.

- ration



Serm. I. of an early converfion, g

ration fliould, would undoubtedly prompt
many to defire, with the queen of the fouth^
to hear his wife fpeeches, if he were now
alive, and to that end to undergo the charge
and fatigue of a tedious journey : ought we
not then to put a high value on his writings,
wherein we have that very fenfe, which fo
much aflonifhed his hearers, when he fpake
to them; and by which, as it is faid of Abel,
being dead, he yet /peaks to us '^ f Nor have
we need to traverfe the mighty waters to hear
him, or to fay, as Mofes fpeaks concerning
the law. Who jh all go over the fea for us, and
bring his words to us, that we may hear them,
and do them ^ ? feeing they are fo very near us
in the divine treatifes he has written.

And as his extraordinary knowledg pro-
mifes us much, fo his large experience may
juftly raife our expectation flill higher. This
makes a man fpeak more feelingly, and with
more demonflration. Belides, 'tis not only
the experience of a man endow'd with a vaft
ftock of wifdom and good fenfe, who confe-
quentiy was able to make very curious and
exadl remarks on the event of things -, but of
one, who by the advantage of his elevated
ftation in the world, and of his immenfe
riches, was alfo capable of furnifhing himfelf
with whatever the world could yield, or his
large curi9fity defire ^ And tho it was his
great unhappinefs and fin to give his heart to

'Heb. 11.4. ^EccleCi, 4~=.io.

^ Deut, 30. I J, 14.

B 2 know



4 The reafonablenefs and ad'vantages

know 7nadncjs and folly, after that criminal
manner he confefTes he did ^ ; yet even this
may make way for his advice : fince he that
here decries a loofe and fenfual, and com-
mends a flridt and virtuous courfe of life, is
one, who had thorowly tried what pleafures
the world could afford i and upon a juft efti-
mate pronounces them all not only vanity,
but vexation of jpirit, at the beginning of this
book ; and at the latter end of it, from his
happier experience of the worth and fweet-
nefs of a religious life, recommends it as the
only way to happinefs s. So that fince thefe
thoughts are the refult not pnly of his fpecu-
lation, but of his experience too, and that
an experience fo dearly bought, at the ex-
pence of fo much thought and invention,
unhappily employ'd in making provifton for
thefep to fulfil the lufs thereof^ j of fo much
time and treafure ; and, which is infinitely
more, at the expence of his innocence and
peace of confcience, and this with the great
and apparent hazard of his foul : how much
does it behove thofe that are young to become
wife at his coft, and to attend to the tefli-
mony of his experience, as well as to the
evidence of his reafon ?

But we have not only the wifeft man in
the world giving us rules in a matter of the
greateft weight, and confirming them with



f Ecd. I. 17. Chap, z, i, 5, I « Eccl. 12. 1?.
C