RIGHT REV. EDWARD REYNOLDS, D.D.
WITH HIS FUNERAL SERMON, BY B. RIVELEY,
ONE OF HIS LORDSHIP'S CHAPLAINS.
A MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR,
BY ALEXANDER CHALMERS, F.S.A.
Oportet Ecclesiasticum, quando suadet aliquid quod agendum est, non so-
lum docere ut instruat, et delectare ut teneat, verùm etiam flectere`ut vincat."
AUG. de Doctrina Christiana, lib. 4. cap. 13.
PRINTED FOR B. HOLDSWORTH,
18, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.
SION'S PRAISES. Psalm cxlvii. 12-15. Praise ye the Lord, O
Jerusalem, &c.
Praise is due unto God for his absolute greatness; and for his relative
goodness to his church and people. In these claims to our praise,
we must adore the excellencies of God, 9; rejoice in him as our
only good, 9; prefer him above all things, acknowledge his free
grace, invoke his name, 10, and obey his commands, 11.
Glory results unto God from his creatures, in a way of general pro-
vidence, 11; in a way of judgement, 11; and in a way of obe-
dience, 12.
The ingemination in the text, Praise, Praise, teaches us our indisposition
to this duty, 13; David's zeal for God's honour, 14; the necessity
of the duty, 13; the manner and measure of it, 14.
Application of the text to the more immediate occasion of the ser-
USES OF HUMAN LEARNING. Acts vii. 22. And was learned in
all the wisdom, &c.
Observations on the learning of Moses, 29–32.
True learning is desirable as an ornament to the mind, 34; for the uses
whereunto it may be applied, in regard of evil men, 35; in regard of
holy men, 36; in regard of the truth of religion, 37, 38.
Human learning must not be used unnecessarily, 39, vain-gloriously, 40,
proudly, heretically, profanely, 40; but with humility, 41, and with
holiness, 42.
Teachers and learned preceptors should be honoured. Funeral eulogy of
Mr. LANGLEY, 45, &c.
CROWN OF GREAT ACTIONS. Nehemiah xiii. 31. Remember
me, O my God, for good.
Merits and excellencies of Nehemiah, 51-56.
The text may be considered, 1. as the comfort of Nehemiah; and, II. as
his prayer, 58.
I. A knowledge of duty performed is a comfort; since a godly life hath
pardon of failings, 59; is God's own work, 59; honours God and
benefits man, 59; and brings a happy death, 60.
II. Good men, who have done service unto the church, may pray that
God would approve their deeds and pardon imperfect services, 61;
preserve from misconstruction; impart counsel, 62, assistance, and
success, 63.
A sound faith in God is the great principle to quicken us in great un-
dertakings, 65-67, and a source of comfort in reviewing them, 67.
An interest in God as our God is a notable argument in prayer, for ob-
taining reward for services.
IT is truly resolved by learned men, that theology is
not a bare speculative science, which ultimately terminateth
and stoppeth in the understanding, but that it is a doctrine
ordered and directing unto practice, prescribed not only the
knowledge of spiritual truth, but the doing and loving of
spiritual good. The apostle calleth it the acknowledge-
ment of the truth which is after godliness; the learning
of Christ, and of the truth as it is in Jesus. As light and
heat, lustre, motion, and influence, are united in the sun,
the one working with and by the other; so treasures of
wisdom and knowledge are joined with fulness of grace
and holiness, in the sun of righteousness, whose wings have
a Aquin. part. 1. Qu. 1. Art. 4. et Scholastici in Prolog. Sent.
healing in them. The doctrine of religion is like the pro-
phet's vision of cherubims, where he saw wheels full of eyes,
the one for vision, the other for motion: and hands under
wings; these to soar in contemplation; those to be em-
ployed in action: and lamps, and burning coals of fire; the
one for light, the other for heat. As an heathen's and he-
retick's moral actions do not benefit him without faith in
Christ; so a Christian's speculative knowledge, and mere
doctrinal faith will not save him without good works, and
the fruits of new obedience h.
Though therefore we dare not ascribe unto good works
any meritorious dignity or proper causality, whereby they
procure or produce salvation for us; yet such a necessity
of them we ever acknowledge, as that without walking in
the way of holiness, we shall not arrive at the kingdom of
glory; without doing the will of God, we can never expect
to receive the promises. And as it is a dangerous tempta-
tion of Satan on the one hand, to persuade men to deify
their own good works by putting confidence in them; so it
is no less dangerous on the other hand by mere notional,
airy, and Platonical speculations, to eat out all care of good
works, and those moral duties of piety, temperance, right-
eousness, and charity, in which the life, power, virtue of
true saving faith doth exert itself.
These considerations moved me, when I was invited to
preach before you at that solemn time, when many proper
objects of good works use to be presented to your eyes,
to single out that argument to treat upon. And that so
much the rather, because we live in times, wherein there is
a concurrence of many of those symptoms and distempers,
upon which our Saviour' hath concluded, that the love of
many should wax cold: wars, and rumours of wars, nation
* Ezek. i. 8, 13, 16, 18.
Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 19. c. 15.-De Nupt. et
Concupisc. 1. i. c. 3.-Contr. 2 Ep. Pelag. 1. 3. c. 4.-Contra Julian. Pelag. ).
Aug. Tom. 4. lib. de fide et oper. c. 14. Ad Simplician.
Qu. 2.
h Aug. de Trinitat. 1. 15. c. 18. Qualis est illa confessio, quæ
sic Deo credit, ut pro nihilo ejus ducat imperium? aut quomodo ex animo et
vere dicimus" Domine, Domine," si ejus, quem Dominutn confitemur, præ-
cepta contemnimus?-Inter Christianum et Gentilem non fides tantum debet,
sed etiam vita distinguere. Hier. epist. ad Galat. de ratione pie vivendi.
Hebr. xii. 14. x. 36. Vide Davenant. de Justitia actuali, c. 30, 31.
Gal. v. 6. 1 Thess. 1. 3. 1 Tim. i. 5. Tit. 3. 8. I Matth. xxiv. 6, 12.
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