Works (Vol 4) - Bates - XXIV - Sermon on the death of Bates concluded

Required reading
The Works (Vol 4) by William Bates (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude 'A sermon on the death of William Bates by John Howe'.

My summary
This week we finish Howe's sermon at Bates' funeral.

Firstly we read Howe's second main point about Thomas' words revealing a faulty and blameable temper.

Howe then teaches us in his third point about the uses of these words for our own lives.

Then the majority of the reading is concerned with remarks about the life of Bates, from his character to his ministerial efforts.

What grabbed me
I enjoyed reading about Bates' memory: 'His memory was admirable, and never failed, that any one could observe, not impaired by his great age of seventy four: insomuch, that speeches made upon solemn occasions, of no in-elegant composition (some whereof the world hath seen, though extorted from his with great difficulty, and by much importunity) he could afterwards repeat to a word, when he had not penned one word of them before.  And his sermons, wherein nothing could be more remote from ramble, he constantly delivered from his memory.  And hath sometime told me, with an amicable freedom, that he partly did it, to teach some that were younger, to preach without notes.  His learning, and acquired knowledge of things, usually reckoned to lie within that compass, was a vast treasure.  He had lived a long, studious life; an earnest gatherer, and (as the phrase is) devourer of books.  With which he had so great an acquaintance, and they that were acquainted with him so well knew it, that one, who was for the dignity of his station, and the eminency of his endowments, as great a pillar, and as excellent an ornament of the church, as any it hath had for many an age, hath been known to say, that were he to collect a library, he would as soon consult Dr. Bates, as any man he knew.  He was indeed himself a living one.'

A living library - a good thing to be!

Next week's reading
Commence The Works (Vol 4) of John Newton (Available from Amazon or free here) by reading Sermon I (The consolation).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.