AN ELEGY ON The Much-to-be-deplored DEATH OF That Never-to-be-forgotten PERSON, The Reverend Mr. NATHANAEL COLLINS; Who After he had been many years a faithful Pastor to the Church at Middletown of Connecticut in New-England, about the Forty third year of his Age Expired; On 28th. 10. month 1684. Testor, Christianum hic de christiano vera proffer Hier. Epist. Paulae. Sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora ferebat. Dignum laud virum musa vetat mori. Horat BOSTON in NEW-ENGLAND Printed by Richard Pierce for Obadiah Cill. Anno Christi 1685. Reader; TO Lament the Dead in Verse, having been even from the Dayes of David until Now, in some sort almost as Common as Death itself, an Apology for that thing at this time is altogether superfluous: Nor have the Noblest Hands disdained to scan Potetical measures on their Fingers, tho' an Annatus has derided a Twiss for not counting that Exercise beneath him. But there seems more needful an Excuse for the meanness of this Composure, which is born before its Time from a Brain disused to such Performances; in which I have been so far from the accuracy of Virgil, who having laid out eleven years upon his Aeneids, after all judged them not polished enough to be published, that a few stolen hours were all I had to shape them in, and to which I could never have been drawn, if the Subject of these Rhythmes, had like the Gentleman in Thuanus upon his Death-bed, given sufficient caution That his hearse should not be burdened with bad Funeral verses. For this, my utmost Plea is, That the sense of Duty, awakened. by the invitation of others hereunto, has produced this rhapsody, for a Censure on which, I appeal from Curiosity to Candour, expecting no Laurel on this occasion but what I merit by my good Affection to the Memory of a True Israelite worthy to be had in Everlasting Remembrance. C. M. FUNERAL-TEARS At the Grave of The much Desired And Lamented Mr. NATHANEEL COLLINS? Who changed Death for LIFE, December 28. 1684. — But shall he unobserved steal away? Or Israel not afford an hand to lay Isai. 57.1. An Evil-boding Death to heart? no Son Of All the Prophets when Elijah's gone Look after him? Forbid this, Heaven! shower On a bereaved Clod of Earth a power To yield a spire of grass allusion to the poetical fancy of Ajax whereon may grow The Name of COLLINS, help a verse to show His virtues, as that Flock acknowledged Their do Dorcas, Act. 9.39. when to the Spicy Mountains fled. Assist me, thou who hast engaged the Just A Memory, Psa. 112.6. to whom the precious dust Of Saints dissolved remains united!— I SIGH the Fate for which our broached eyes Spend floods of brine; at which a dire surprise Of a soul-chilling horror doth invade The Soul not ston before; at which are made In serious minds as many wounds as were To Caesar whom the Roman conspirators slay with 23 wounds given. Reader, shake to hear; The DEATH of COLLINS tis. He dead without A Paper winding sheet to lay him out! A shane. O that Egyptian Odours, and Embalmers too Gen 50.2. were now at my command! I want them. But Hyperboles withdraw, Be gone Licentious Poets. What I saw On this occasion let some country rhymes That call a Spade a Spade, tell after-Times. deprived of closets& of horsemen too, all. to 2. King. 2.12. I on the wings of Contemplation flew; Into the howling desert thus I went, The cut-off garden so some render the Garden of Nuts, Cant. 6.11. in a phrase very accomodable to America. where our David sent His sheep to seed and fold, from which he drove The ravenous Tigre-brood, in which he gave His herds a Rest at noon. Cant. 1.7. On Jordans Banks I meant to sit with Thoughts on this and Thanks. But there found I an Elect Lady, some( tho' groundlessly though) suppose a Church intended by that name in 2. Joh 1. There Grov'ling in Ashes, with dishev'led hair, Smiting her breast, blacked with a mourning dress, Resembling mother Sion in distress; all. to the figure thereof in B. K.'s ingenious poem. Or like a Rachel in a Bethl'em plight, Mat. 2.18. But with a Beauty glittering too, that might The Features show that Judah's preaching King Much did once in his machless Raptures sing; viz. the Canticles. I found her. There amazed, into a three all. to such a metamorphosis celebrated in Ovid. Almost transformd with passion: sympathy Produced this Enquiry, Who I wonder, Seems Sorrow's Center, Sorrow's Essence yonder? Lo, I no sooner had approached near, Then from above this voice did thunder; Here Pitty, the Church of Middletown bespeaks Set in the midst of swoons and sobs and shrieks. With bowels full of it I hastened to The Wet place, asking Why she grieved so; And had this Answer. SIr, Ask you this? Are you a Sojourner Within New-Englands bounds& know not why? I've lost great COLLINS, man! O that, O there, From this Tears-Fountain Hinc illae lacrymae. is my misery. Immortal COLLINS! what a Charm is in So dear a Name? 'tis Honey mixed with gull To think, I had him, but I miss him; Seen He was, sad word! fuimus Troes. but so no more he shall. My Love is Talkative: tis fit that I Thus vent my smothered Fire. The rabbis say That when good old Methusela did die, His Wife nine husbands lost in him that day. Like loser I will speak: The Lamentation Over Jerus'lems Woe doth svit me well, A Widow how is she become! Lam. 1.1. Privation Seems now to be my only Principle. Once did I prise, I'l now praise what I had. The box of his Fames ointment Eccles. 7.1. now shall sand Abroad its Odours. Alexander from whose corpse 'tis said there went a smell exceedingly fragrant. dead Had not the scent which doth from him ascend. Some Elogyes compose to try their Wits; The Gout, praised by Pichennerus, the fever, praised by Huttenus, yea& Injustice, praised by Glaucus, Folly praised by Erasmus, and Poverty praised by Pierius, all in set poems, or orations. have in the Fits Of Ranting Writers had a comeliness. My Theme, my Humour is not such an one: Who to prove Cicero not eloquent, penned Books, as once an humoursome person did. who truth& worth for guards disown Such only count Collins not excellent. Bright COLLINS, Star of the first Magnitude, Extol him how could I! I sha'n't be chid If as much time on him my gazes should Spend, as that Greeks Socrates, who spent 15 year in framing of one Panegyric, one oration. in's Panegyric did. O that Apelles were my servant now To limn this Hero, but his utmost All Would blushy, and draw a veil upon the Brow as that painter did upon his Minerva's. Below whose Majesty his skill would fall. I would that you, my Friend, each drop of Ink Could fill with Elogyes no fewer then The little eels of which I can with my Microscope see incredible hundreds playing about in one drop of water. that may swim in't: I think They all should celebrate this flower of men. I would too that each syllable all round This Globe with perfumed Air might fly about; Or your Stentorophonic Tube which speaking-Trumpet may be heard a vast way off. might sound The praise of admirable Collins out. Death, thou All-biting all. to the Acrost. of Mors Mordens Omnia Rostro S uo prodigal, a blow Of thine hath laid within the ground a plant Surpassing Cedars. I did hardly know A spice whose quantity on it was scant. Good Nature and good Education were In him conjoined to such an high degree, As gained the Title of that Tit. Vesp. who was termed, Deliciae humani generis. Emperour, In this rare soul Mankinds delight we see. Facetious Snow-balls from his candid breast With early Magic hence would captivated His near, Familiars, so that he was blessed Who could have leave to be his Intimate. Hence from his Cradle clothes his neat discretion, Mounted upon bridled Urbanity, Before a most obliging Disposition, Triumphant road in every Company. But Oh the fruits of heavenly Graces due Upon so rich a soil! Let Peter bid His Brethren add one graces pearl unto The v. the glorious catalogue 2. Pet. 1.5, 7. rest: The whole heap was in Collins hide. You'd scarce believe the FAITH residing in This Child of Abraham, the strong Impression On his heart of Realities unseen, 2. cor. 4 18. Of Gospel glories, of things past expression: How dearest to him his Redeemer; how With brave Ignatius whose saying often was, Amor meus est crucifixus he could warble out O Christ my Love; how we might even allow A JESUS grav'd which is grossly and fabulously reported of another. within his breast no doubt. His virtue took this sister by the hand; And with her train accompanied thus, In vert'ous flights he went— how much beyond An Aristides; two glories of the heathen, the one for Justice, the other for Fidelity. or a Regulus! For KNOWLEDGE, tho in him poor Harvard lost One of her tallest sons, one of the best Souldiers in her Minerva's Camp, my boast Of higher Wisdom in him i'n't the least. My Moses, he in Egypts Learning verst Act. 7.22. Had more then that; Accomplishments Divine In exercise of which, while he conversed With Isr'els Jah, to us his face did shine. Exod. 34.35. Yare at his GRAMMAR, kenning how and when To speak: his tongue a Prov. 15.4. three of life, no( dross Proceeding from this Chrysostom golden mouth. ) the pen Of Ready writers like, not barbarous. How lofty in his RHET'RIC, when with cries To the Omnipotent reduced to say as in Exod. 32.10. feriendi licentiam petit a Mose qui fecit Mosen. Let me alone, thereby he scaled the skies, And with the old preces et lacrymae sunt Arma Ecclesiae. Artill'ry got the day. In the best LOGIC, Oh how Rational! How able to spy Canaan through! how ready To baffle a Temptation! and withal Full of his Oracles sound, solid, steady! How right was his ARITHMETIC that knew Wisely to measure his own Psa. 90.12. dayes! How right Was his GEOMETRY, that found the true Bulk of the earth! a point and an invisible point no doubt would it be to an human eye in the starry Heaven, tho it probably contains above Ten Thousand Millions of cubic German leagues. not worth the sight. In his ASTRONOMY how ripe his eye Reaching to things beyond the stars! always Exact in this no-vain as some other Philosophy is called in Col. 2.8. PHILOSOPHY, That in all things he found his Makers presentem docult quaelibet herba Deum. praise. Master of all the Arts that show us what Tis from each Bad unto each Good to go; To all his Knowledge last overdoing that, Socrates his Hoc tantum scio, me nihil scire. All that I know is, that I nothing know. For TEMPERANCE, he lived upon it, he Like Hooper spar d much in his diet, more In 's speech, but most in Time; the hateful Three the Pleasures, and Profits& Honours of the world, become the 3 Belzebubs of it, according to the Distich Ambitiosus honos et opes et foeda voluptas, Haec tria pro trino Numine mundus habet. Fly-gods o'th' world mean while he cared not for. To Meat a Dan. 1.12. Daniel; and a Rechabite Jer. 35.6. To Drink; like a John Baptist Mat. 3.4. in his raiment; His sleep, like David, Psa. 119.62. robbing in the Night; Still putting Nature off with scanty payment. Abstemious in all things at such a rate, Some( like Eliza K. Edw. VI. used to call the Princess Elizabeth, his Sister Temperance. in her Brothers eyes, Him Brother Temp'rance could denominate. And Justice caused what e'er looked otherwise. For PATIENCE whole beds and loads of it In his soul flourished. What Affliction meant He felt as much as most do talk, and yet Groans might from him, but Grumbles It was the sentence of a great Saint under great pain, I groan but do not grumble. ne're be sent. And under Provocation, 'twas a care By him maintained to smile Affronts away. Not firing when mere Cock-boats landed are; Seldom decoyed from his mildred Yea, or Nay. No Brother of whom Homer so often represents in fumes. Achilles; like unto The Upper Regions free from Tempests; full Of the doves temper: Able for to go Over an Alphabet, as was wont to do the Renowned Roman Emperour. tho Anger pull, His GODLINESS steered allusion to Sola sit humanae pietas cynosura carinae. all his motions still: God had his thrice-hot Amo te, Domine, plusquam meos, plusquam mea, plusquam me. Bern. love, his life, his Whole: Gods Honour was his End, and in the Will Of God he moulded all. to Rom. 6.17. gr. his renewed soul. His several Turns on a Religious thread He sought to string: fixing that Motto on What signal he in both his Callings did, With much devotion, Lord as he, Propter te, Domine, propter te. for thee alone. How James-like were his of whom Ecclesiastical History relates, that his hardened knees wore the Badges of his hard prayers. prayers, how did the word Of Life, his heart Christs as Jerome remarked of his friend Nepotian. Library affect! What God-ward flames did his pure Anima justi Coelum est. mind afford, Of any Ord'nance dreading a Neglect! BROTHERLY-KINDNESS did procure the Law Of Kindness in his prov. 31.26. lips, a denizen Of Philadelphia which name signifies brotherly love. in him we saw; Heir to the soul of the Apostle Heb. 13.1. gr. of whom tis said that when through age he could do no more, he would give that short Lesson for a long Sermon to his congregation, my Children, love one another. John. A zwinglian entire that ever said a savoury speech recorded of the famous Zuinglius. Let me see Christ in any one, I shall Him with both arms embrace. Whatever made Distinctions, this with him removed all. And CHARITY in him warm Beams extended To all the Race of Man; Philanthropy Him like a shadow every where attended; COLLINS made up of Love, we used to cry. An Injury seldom resenting more Than Cranmer or the Martyrologer Holy Mr. Fox. Who urn'd his Ashes, of whom tis notour, Of good, for ill, Turns from them sure you were. In fine, As the Seneca. Philosopher did give His friend advice, suppose a Cato's eye On you, and so be wise; when I would live Uprightly, I'd imagine, COLLINS by. Thus was he for a Christian, and thus he With Conversation lightened, every dead Of his in print a Sermon yeeldeth me: Ille pus pastor, quo non prestantior unus, Qui faciendo docet, quae facienda doc●t. But now what as a Minister you'l heed. Methinks I see how fraught the Pulpit was Of Grace, of Gravity, of Wisdom, when With most harmonious notes a Barnabas He now was, and a Boanerges then: How deep his Sermons were, where Elephants Might take content, and yet withal how plain, Suited unto the leather Dublet's Wants. All in a near unimitable Strain: What undasht all. to 2. Cor. 2.17. gr. wine he gave me: what a Zeal For me consumed him: how material He was in Dispensations aimed to heal Distempers in me, yet how Spiritual: He like an Ox all. to those 2 creatures in Rev. 4.7. whereof by the former some will have the Pastor,& by the latter the Teacher of a Church to be meant. was always labouring To feed me, but he like an Eagle all. to those 2 creatures in Rev. 4.7. whereof by the former some will have the Pastor,& by the latter the Teacher of a Church to be meant. too Did soar to Pisgah's Top, from thence to bring Celestial Visions purblind us unto. One is a Doctor most so Alexander Hales. Invincible Another most so Bradwardine. Profound, a Third is counted A subtle so Scotus. one;( Scholastic Records tell) A Fourth so Aquinas. Angelical by none surmounted: COLLINS was all of this. The noble thus distinguished in an Epigram of Beza's Three Geneva Crowns, enlightening Calvin, and The thundering Farel joined auspiciouslie With shouring Viret, here in one did stand. For Memory almost a Seneca, whose tenacious Memory is to all Ages memorable. For Judgement and Fancy inferior To few: in Learning rich, and every way He was a furnished Gospel-Orator. How many all. to. Act. 16.14. Lydian-hearts reputed him A an excellent Divine, the English of whose Name seems to be Key-carrier: Claviger, by him unlocked? To us For Light giv, n to our House how much Esteem He had as an another, whose Name in likelihood was House-Lamp. Oecolampadius! To save poor me and mine, Oh how severe observing the Motto of the Emperour Severus, which was LABOREMUS. His Labours were! how lasting his Renown Must to my Offspring be, Once( saying) were Doves eyes within the Locks of all. to Cant. 4.1. where by those expressions some understand Christian Teachers surrounded with their believing Hearers. Middletown! My Neighbourhood shared with me too; he gave Some Spirit unto them: and then his One of his last Services was that he assisted in a Day of Prayer at enliven, immediately on which he sickened. Haven He choose: So on the Day He died on a Sabbath Day about the beginning of the Morning Exercise. we used to have Heaven from him, from us he flew to Heaven. The Age of Perkins about 44. just attained, he thought It time to follow him. But Why so fast? The cause you know that of such things is brought belonged to him, he only grew too fast. Immodicis brevis est aetas et rara senectus. More would I say but Heart-corroding Anguish lays that check on me, you have lost him now. Broken with thy big Loss dear Friend, I languish: Hence would my Tears more than my River flow. Now in Micaiahs Trance 1. King. 22.17. I seem to see For Food on mountains, wandring Shepherdless, And Shiftless rambling, what belongs to me. Wast Park of mine that now no Keeper has! Lord, is my Night come shall Impaenitent transgressors now continue so? Shall it Upon my Meeting-House, while men repent, This and that man born here allusion to Psal. 87.5. no more be writ? Shall a forsaken now Society Without its Head, its Heart, its Eyes remain? And like Isaiah's woeful Vineyard ly all. to Isai. 5. With with'ring Grapes abandoned by the Rain? O Ghastly Omens! if Paraeus dy Let Heidleberge look to't. If Austin go Let Hippo tremble. If Elisha fly 2. King. 15.20. 'tis one of the Jewish Oracles, Quando Luminaria patiuntur Eclipsin, malum est signum mundo. After his Master, next year brings a wo I fear of both sorts now Some have observed, that the Death of a faithful Minister in a place where he hath done God much service, is oft attended with a great Mortality among other persons in that place. I. Collins. Elijahs Lamenation. p. 18. Mortalities, Of Famines too I fear the See Amos 8.11. worst, I fear The Gallop of no less Calamities Then can be wrapped in a pale Comets Hair. amid these hideous Frights perplexed, I mourn With Incohaerent Throbs you see. Now tell me Whether it be not just that thus forlorn I here bewail this that has late befell me. SHE said; Her heavy words were hardly out When, as one planet-struck, a doleful shout Of the surviving COLLINSes detaind Me from Replies to what had been complained. To fill the Stage there seemed to throng a crowd Of his Relations to us. First aloud His Aged Parents with drenched Hankerchiefs Saw and had cause thus to proclaim their Griefs: A Son, our Staff and A bide famed for its regard to its Dam: Stork;( said they) A Son, Our Benjamin, Alas, must he be gone To his Long-Home before us? Heaven more May now be Heaven to us than before. farewell, thou world of One of the most splendid Cities wherein, is hence appositely termed Lutetia. Dirt; we meekly wait But for a Vitam habentes in patientia, Mortem in desiderio. Call too. This deplored: strait His Brethren not as a see Jer. 22.17. Jehoiakim But as a v. 2. Sam. 1.17. Jonathan, bemoaned him, With this, We live to see the Joseph die, Whom we thought born for our Adversity! His widow then,( the tender whiteing swam Thro' the Black all. to the mere mortuum. sea of Death to us) I came ( Said She) to bear a part with you. But I Must in deep Silence do't. That every Sigh Of mine— O that it Marbles might erect To him, for lack of whom I 'm thus deject. And then his Orphans, all ensabled add O could we say— that once a Father had, A Father whose paternal over-sight Did make us over happy, whose Delight Was in our Welfare, whose Behaviours Still taught us— Mercy! what a Loss is ours! In this Distraction mixing once again A Consolation-cup; such the Jews were wont to have at their Funerals. Thick Mists amain About us gathering; a Murmur there Of the blessed Shade himself we then might hear. FOND Mortals, wipe your eyes( said he) pray keep That liquour for yourselves. all. to Luk. 23 28. poor Envy 'tis Which prompts your Threnodies for me. To weep For my sake, is but to Ignore my Bliss. O what a world of smoke of dust of Folly Am I sailed all. to Phil. 1.23. where to depart, is by some translated to loose Anchor. from! No sin shall me annoy, And no Temptation more to be unholy Shall e'er molest me in my Masters JOY. I have my Ragged Mantle dropped; I have All Vanity and all Vexation Mors Beatitudinis principium, Laborum meta, peremptoria peccatorum, Aug. escaped, my day safe kept within a Grave preserved lies for the Resurrection. No across Christ& his across part at Heavens door, for there's no room for Crosses in Heaven. Rutherf. Epist. shall ever gull my shoulders more, From God, correcting my disorders, and No Club e're strike me, read with ancient Gore, Still by each Cain Caint adhuc clavus Abelis sanguine rubens ubique circumfertur. Bucholtz. retained in his hand. I 'm got within the veil, and there I see The ever-glorious Face of the The Heaven of Heaven, portrayed in Joh. 17.24. GOD-MAN; And He with Transports doth convey to me As much of GOD as entertain I can. I Know, I Live, I Love; But how? forbear To be inquisitive: It can't be told To you; No, tho you all skilled in the language which bold conjectures think to be Heavens Dialect. Hebricians were: Nor can shell-vessels all. to 2. cor. 4.7. gr. this things meaning hold. I find besides my loving Guardians here, Here the Good Angels that conveyed me thro' T●● Divel-haunted-Dungeon-Atmosphere, the territores whereto the apostate troops of Lucifer seem to be confined, from eph. 2.2. To mine annex their Hallelujahs do. Here, me the Chorus of the glorified, The polished all. to 2. cor. 5.5. stones, now in the Temple plac, t The twice clothed all. to 2. ibid. where an upper garment of glory is engaged to the souls on which an under garment of grace is wrought with the Eternal Spir●ts Needle-work. Souls, salute on every side; I see Nathaneel v. Joh. 1.47. here, I know the rest. Be glad that I am here, and after hye, yourselves with diligence, all posting hither, Precepts and Patterns left, my Counsels eye, And copies, so we shall be soon together. Souls, follow me. Anon the Stars, the Sands, The Atoms of the Universe— a Scrol Like Heaven filled with Nines, for cipher stands, compared to the Long joys a line 〈…〉 too long for the verse, but too short notwith●●●nding to give a shadow of ETERNITY that over us may roll. a thing rationally sung by the ●●●man Swan the night before he died. A PERIOD this puts to the Tragaedy. He vanished; They retired; confused I Now quiter alone, have nothing else to do, But to pour out a short Hosannah to The Worlds Almighty governor to whom On this account now these Petitions come From lifted Hands, and bended Knees— Dread Lord, By whom vast Hosts of Beings with a Word Are made and moved: Let thy much-hop'd Salvation Shield us, like Walls from much-fear'd Desolation. O Save New-Englands Churches; Let them be Still golden Candlesticks, beloved by thee, Still Puritans; Still ivory palaces. Keep up the Quickset Hedge about them; Please To keep the gladsome Streams of them alive. Save Middletown, and cause the Place to thrive Under Fat Clouds still, and that Bochim let By thy Provision be a Bethel yet. Save every soul that reads this Elegy; Like COLLINS let us live, like COLLINS dy. AMEN. Sic mihi contingat vivere sicque mori. Sic optat, Qui long sequitur vestigia semper adorans. Qualis vita, ita FINIS.