Um discurso sobre a divina providência I. Em geral: que há uma providência exercida por Deus no mundo. II. Em particular: como todas as providências de Deus no mundo estão a serviço do bem de seu povo.

A Diſcourſe OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE I.

In General: That there is a Providence Exerciſed by God in the World II.

In Particular: How all Gods Providences in the World, are in order to the good of his People By the late Learned Divine, STEPHEN CHARNOCK, B D. ſometime Fellow of New-Colledg in OXON His Kingdom ruleth over all LONDON: Printed by R.

Roberts for Thomas Cockerill, at the Three Legs in the Poultrey, near the Stocks-Market. 1684 TO THE READER.

Reader, THOU art here preſented with a little piece, of a Great Man; Great indeed, if great Piety, great Parts, great Learning, and great Wiſdom, may be admitted to claim that Title: And we verily believe that none well acquainted with him, will deny him his right; however malevolent Perſons may grudge him the honour.

It hath been expected, and de ſired by many, that ſome ac count of his Life might be gi ven to the world; But we are not willing to offer violence to his aſhes, by making him ſo publick now he is Dead, who ſo much affected privacy while he lived.

Thou art therefore de ſired to reſt ſatisfied with this brief account of him, That being very young he went to Cambridge, where in Immanuel Colledge he was brought up under the Tuition of the pre ſent Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury.

What Gracious workings and Evidences of the New-Birth ap peared in him while there, hath already been ſpoken of by one, who was at that time his Fellow Collegiate and Intimate.

Some time he after ward ſpent in a private Family, and a little more in the exerciſe of his Miniſtry in Southwark; then removed to New-Colledge in Oxon, where he was Fellow, and ſpent ſeveral years; being then taken notice of for his ſingular Gifts, and had in Repu tation by the moſt Learned and Godly in that Univerſity, and up on that account the more fre quently put upon Publick work.

Being thence (the year after he had been Proctor) called over into Ireland to a conſtant pub lick Employment, he exerciſed his Miniſtry for about four or five years, not with the approba tion only, but to the admiration of the moſt Wiſe and Judicious Chriſtians, and with the concur rent applauſe of ſuch as were of very different ſentiments from him in the things of Religion; Nay, even thoſe that never lov ed his Piety, yet would com mend his Learning and Gifts, as being beyond exception, if not abve compare.

About the year 1660. being diſcharged from the publick exerciſe of his Mini ſtry, he returned back into England, and in and about London ſpent the greateſt part of fifteen years, without any call to his old work in a ſetled way; but for about theſe five years laſt paſt hath been more known by his conſtant Preach ing, of which we need not ſpeak, but let them that heard him, ſpeak for him; or, if they ſhould be ſilent, his Works will do it.

He was a Perſon of excellent Parts, ſtrong Reaſon great Judg ment, and (which do not often go together) curious Phanſie, of high Improvements, and ge neral Learning, as having been all his days a moſt diligent and methodical Student, and a great Redeemer of time, reſcu ing not only his reſtleſs hours in the Night, but his very walk ing time in the Streets from thoſe impertinencies and fruitleſs vani ties, which do ſo cuſtomarily fill up mens minds, and ſteal away their hearts from thoſe bet ter and more Noble objects, which do ſo juſtly challenge their greateſt regards: This he did by not only carefully watching (as every good Chriſtian ſhould do) but conſtantly writing down his Thoughts, whereby he both go vern'd them better, and furniſh ed himſelf with many materials for his moſt elaborate Diſcour ſes.

His chief Talent was his Preaching Gift, in which, to ſpeak modeſtly, he had few equals.

To this therefore, as that for which his Lord and Maſter had beſt fitted him (neglecting the practice of Phyſick, in which he had arrived at a conſidera ble meaſure of knowledge) he did eſpecially addict himſelf; and direct his Studies, and even when Providence denyed him opportunities, yet he was ſtill lay ing in more ſtock, and prepa ring for work againſt he might be called to it.

When he was in Employment, none that heard him, could juſtly blame his re tiredneſs, he being even when moſt private, continually at work for the Publick; and had he been leſs in his Study, he would have been leſs liked in the Pulpit.