CHAPTER V. DRUSIUS NOV-ANGLICANUS.*-THE LIFE OF MR. URIAN OAKES O Utinam plures similes tibi pectore nossem, Aut in Doctrinâ, aut Sedulitate pares.† § 1. I REMEMBER 'tis the report given by Sylvius concerning Rhodes, "that it is blessed with a perpetual shine of the sun;" imagine that there passes not a day in the year wherein the sun shines not upon it. And methinks our Cambridge had not been much otherwise privileged for more than forty years together; being shined upon by a successive triumvirate of such eminent and heavenly lights, as, first, Shepard, then Mitchel; and lastly our excellent URIAN OAKES. Those three golden men and very Chrysostoms, have given to Cambridge its golden age. The church of Cambridge had a succession in some sort like that in the church of Ephesus-a Paul, a Timothy, and a Tychicus. § 2. 'Tis remarkable that, in the sacred story, at least forty Dukes of Edom have their whole story crouded into one short piece of a chapter; three or four of them are jostled into a line, seven or eight of them into two; all but their meer name is buried in a dark vault of eternal oblivion: while above a dozen chapters are employ'd in describing the vertues and relating the actions of one younger son of Israel, the son of a "plain man who dwelt in tents." If the greatest persons of Edom [that is to say, of Rome] have their history lost, the church of God would have no great loss in it; a son of Israel may more worthily and more usefully have his memory preserved in church-history with the most extended paragraphs: yea, the son of a "plain man, who dwelt in tents," may deserve an everlasting remembrance among them who most consider what they have most reason to remember. Make room, then, for Urian Oakes, ye records of New-England. He was born in England, and now in his childhood brought over to New-England by his pious parents, who were blessed with several worthy sons, the effects of whose liberal education in our Colledge have rendered the family not the least in our little Israel. While he was yet a child, he was delivered from an extream Hazard of drowning by a miracle, I had almost said, a miracle of divine providence; God reserving him to be a Moses among his people. And the sweet nature, which accompanied him all his days, did now so remarkably recommend him, that observers have made this reflection: "If good nature could ever carry one to heaven, this youth hath enough to carry him thither." § 3. His prompt parts adorned and advanced with the grace of God at such a rate, as to make the considerate say of him, as they said of young The New-England Oak. + Would there were more like thee! like thee in sense, In learning, and unwearied diligence. Ambrose, "To what will this child grow?" were improved in our Colledge; where he took his two degrees. Being here yet a lad of small, as he never was of great stature, he published a little parcel of astronomical calculations with this apposite verse in the title page: Parvum parva decent, sed inest sua Gratia parvis.* But here, being furnished with the armour and the treasure of the schools, he went from hence unto the work of building the Temple of God; preaching his first sermon at Roxbury. §4. Returning back to England, he there "grew in favor with God and man." After he had been a while chaplain to one of the most noted persons then in the nation, Titchfield was the place where this bright star became fixed; there 'twas that he settled in the charge of souls, which he discharged in such lively preaching and such holy living, as became a minister of the New Testament: there 'twas that, like a silkworm, he spent his own bowels or spirits to procure the "garments of righteousness for his hearers;" there 'twas that he might challenge the device and motto of the famous Dr. Sibs, a wasting lamp with this inscription, Prælucendo pereo, or, "My light is my death." 5. But the expensive labours of his ministry did not so hasten a natural death upon him, as to anticipate a civil death by the persecution, that silenced the Non-conformist ministers throughout the nation. A civil death, I say; because, although the authors of that act, XIV. Car. 2, would not be reckoned among "the slayers of our Lord's witnesses," yet it may surprize the most attentive consideration to read how much oftener than twice or thrice in that act, the silenced ministers are pronounced as dead, and, as if naturally dead! This act slew the ministry of this "faithful witness" to the truths of the gospel, whereof he was a minister; but that worthy and well-known Colonel Norton, proved the Obadiah who then gave this good man a residence in his house; where his presence and prayers produced a blessing, like that on the house of Obed-Edom. Nevertheless, when the heat of the persecution was a little abated, he returned unto the exercise of his ministry, in a congregation where Mr. Symmons was his colleague. § 6. Our Cambridge, deprived of their incomparable Mitchel, and lamenting that, "of all her sons, there were so few to take her by the hand;" after solemn addresses unto the "great Shepard of the sheep" for his direction, sent over their agents into England, with a invitation to Mr. Oakes, to "come over and help them." A council, upon that occasion called, approving of the invitation, the good Stork flew over the Atlantick Ocean to feed his dam. Whereupon one wrote, Welcome, great prophet, to New-England shore, Now Twisse's guess too must accomplisht be: ⚫ Little things become little men; yet little things have a grace peculiar to themselves. § 7. The church of Cambridge could now show this orient jewel for divers years before the Almighty would have it made up "among his jewels;" though the troubles and sorrows of a quartan ague often diverted him from his publick services. And here he had the opportunity for which Dr. Preston chose rather to preach at Cambridge than any other place, Dolare non tantum Lapides sed artifices.* Of the divine favour to them, in their enjoyment of such a pastor, the church was now so sensible, that they kept a day of publick thanksgiving for it. At this thanksgiv ing a sermon being expected from himself, he took for his text those words in 2 Cor. xii. 11: "I be nothing." And the holy endeavours that he used in the sermon to take off the thoughts of the faithful from any thing in man to every thing in Christ, were very agreeable to a man whom Christ had made something among the people. But the Colledge in Cambridge languishing under somewhat worse than an ague by the want of a President, this accomplished man was invited unto that place: For divers years, he would admit no other title to this place but that of pro tempore, which indeed seems to have been a little proleptical and prophetical. From this time, and but for a time, he was the Jerom of our Bethlehem! § 8. Soon after he had accepted his Presidentship, he was arrested with a malignant fever, which presently put an end unto his days in this world." The prayer of some great saints has been contrary to that in the Litany for a sudden death; and such was the death, of this desirable person, if any death may be accounted sudden to him that was always prepared for it. When he had lain sick about a day or two, and not so long as to give the people of God opportunity to pray for his recovery, his church coming together with expectation to have the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day administered unto them, to their horror found the pangs of death seizing their pastor, that should have broken to them the bread of life. And, indeed, I have often seen the Lord of heaven taking off his ministers, perhaps to heaven, at that season when the Eucharist should have been celebrated! which is a thing that might admit of some useful reflections. § 9. He was upon all accounts truly an admirable person. Consider'd as a Christian, he was "full of all goodness," and like a full ear of corn, he stoop'd with a most profound humility, adorning all his other graces; but though he were low in his own opinion of himself, yet he was high in his attainments; high in his principles. He carried heaven in his name URIANUS, [q. spavios,] but much more in his heavenly mind. Considered as a scholar, he was a notable critick in all the points of learning; and well versed in every point of the great circle. Vast the treasures lodged in the soul of such a scholar! Considered as a preacher, he was an Orpheus that would have drawn the very stones to discipline; had Austin been here, he might now have seen "Paul in the pulpit:" indeed, he was, as one To model out, not statues, but artists. said, "an uncomfortable preacher;" why? he drove us to despair, namely, of seeing such another. Finally, I cannot speak more comprehensively of him than Mr. Increase Mather does in his preface to a discourse of this renowned man's, published just after his decease: "There have been several of the same name, heretofore renowned for their rare accomplishments in some particular faculty, wherein they have excelled. Josephus Quercetanus was a learned and famous physician. Johannes Drusias (the Greek word for Oakes) was a great divine, and eminent for his critical genius. But an age doth seldom produce one so many ways as this author was. If we consider him as a divine, as a scholar, as a Christian, it is hard to say in which he did most excel. I have often, in my thoughts, compared him unto Samuel among the prophets of old; in as much as he did truly "fear God from his youth," and was betimes improved in holy ministrations, and was at last called to the head of the "sons of the prophets" in this New-English Israel, as Samuel was President of the Colledge of Najoth. And in many other particulars, I might enlarge upon the parallel, but that it is inconvenient to extend such instances beyond their proportion. It may without reflection upon any be said, that 'he was one of the greatest lights that ever shone in this part of the world, or that is ever like to arise in our Horizon.' He is now become a 'royal diadem in the hand of the Lord? being, as one speaks concerning a great worthy, 'an ornament unto heaven itself."" § 10. As for his works, 'tis an exceeding pity that the press has given to the light no more of them; for Quicquid tam Docta condidit Manus Calum est: nevertheless, four or five of his published composures are carried about among us, like Paul's handkerchiefs, for the healing of our sick land. We may read something of what he was, in a sermon, called "The Conquering and Unconquerable Christian Soldier," on Rom. viii. 37, preached unto the Artillery Company in Boston, on their election; and in a sermon preached on the like occasion in Cambridge, from Eccles. ix. 11, showing, that chance is infallibly determined by God; and in a sermon upon a Fast, which, from Isa. xliii. 22, presses for sincerity and delight in the service of God: but most of all in a sermon on Deut. xxxii. 22, preached unto the General Court of the Massachusetts-colony; wherein, he pleaded with his country, to consider what would be the latter end of the evils then growing in the country; after a manner, so faithful, so solemn, so affectionate, as was hardly to be equalled. Now, that the reader may see some account of this learned man's judgment in the matters of church-discipline, without which we may not say that we have written his life, we will from that sermon only transcribe the few following lines: "I profess I look upon the settlement of the Congregational way as the boon, the gratuity, the largess of divine bounty, which the Lord graciously bestow'd upon his people, that followed him into this wilderness; and a great part of the blessing on the head of Joseph, and of them that were 'separate from their brethren.' Those good people that came over hither shewed more love and zeal, and affectionate desire of communion with God in pure worship and ordinances, and did more in order to it than others, and the Lord did more for them * In losing thee, we lost our comfort too. + The work of a hand so skilled must be divine. than for any people in the world, in shewing them the 'pattern of his house,' and the true scriptural way of church-government and administrations. I do not think that they were at a ne plus ultra,* and that nothing was left unto the discovery of after-times; but the begin ning-work was substantially done by them; they were set in the right way, wherein we are now to proceed, and make a progress. It will be our wisdom, interest, and duty to follow them, as they followed the guidance of the spirit of Christ. The reformation in K. Edward's days was then a blessed work; and the reformation of Geneva and Scotland was a larger step, and in many respects purer than the other; and, for my part, I fully believe, that the Congregational-way far exceeds both, and is the highest step that has been taken towards reformation, and, for the substance of it, is the very way that was established and practised in the primitive times according to the institution of Jesus Christ. There is a sweet temperament in the Congregational-way; that the liberties of the people may not be overlaid and oppressed, as in the classical-way, nor the rule and authority of the elders rendered an insignificant thing, and trampled under foot, as in the way of the Brownists; but that there may be a reconciliation, or due concurrence in the balancing of the one justly with the other: and herein, the wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in the frame of church-government (for it is not any politick or prudential contrivance of man, but modell'd by the great Law-giver, the Lord Jesus) is greatly to be admired by us." § 11. The rest of the report that we will give of this memorable person, shall be but a transcript of the Epitaph on the tomb-stone in the sleeping-place at Cambridge, dedicated unto his memory. And know, reader, that though the stones in this wilderness are already grown so witty as to speak, they never yet, that I could hear of, grew so wicked as to lye. + To the memory of Urian Oakes, whose remains are enclosed in this grave: a man of tried integrity, consummate dignity of character, remarkable acquirements in all the better kinds of knowledge, most conspicuous and distinguished in every respect; as a theologian, deservedly famous; a truly charming orator; a learned and orthodox pastor of a church at Cambridge; a most sagacious president of Harvard College; a recipient of the highest commendations for piety, learning and eloquence, smitten by a sudden and deadly disease, he breathed out his life into the bosom of his Saviour, July 25th, A. D. 1681, at the age of fifty. What need of epithets? one name most dear |