Jabez Earle facts for kids

Jabez Earle, D.D. (born around 1676 – died 1768), was an important English Presbyterian minister. He spent almost 70 years working as a preacher in London. A "Presbyterian minister" is a religious leader in a Christian church that follows the Presbyterian tradition.

Early Life and Career

Jabez Earle was probably born in Yorkshire, a county in England. He was trained to become a minister by Thomas Brand. In 1691, he saw the funeral of a famous minister named Richard Baxter. He later remembered that the funeral coaches stretched a very long way, from Merchant Taylors' Hall to Christ Church, Newgate, where Baxter was buried.

The next year, Earle became a tutor and chaplain for the family of Sir Thomas Roberts at Glassenbury, near Cranbrook, Kent. A "chaplain" is a minister who serves a specific group or family.

Becoming a London Preacher

In 1699, Earle started working as an assistant to Thomas Reynolds at the Weighhouse presbyterian chapel in Eastcheap, London. Soon after, he also became a lecturer at Lime Street, giving evening talks.

Around 1706 or 1707, he took over as the main pastor of the Presbyterian church in Drury Lane, Westminster. In 1708, he joined other ministers to give Friday evening lectures about how to conduct religious worship. He helped his church grow, partly because some people left the ministry of Daniel Burgess and joined Earle's church. He then moved his congregation to a new meeting-house in Hanover Street, Long Acre.

At Hanover Street, Earle started a Thursday morning lecture series, which he continued until late 1767. In 1719, he was one of the Presbyterian ministers who signed important agreements at the Salters' Hall conferences. In 1723, he was chosen as a trustee for Dr. Williams' foundations, which supported religious and educational causes.

Academic Achievements

On August 21, 1728, the University of Edinburgh gave him the degree of D.D. (Doctor of Divinity). This is a high academic degree in theology. Soon after, King's College, Aberdeen also gave him the same degree. At this time, he was also serving as a chaplain to the Duke of Douglas.

Later Life and Wisdom

In June 1730, Earle became one of the Tuesday lecturers at Salters' Hall. He kept this job until the very end of his life, even when he was old and blind. When his friends suggested he should stop, he famously said, "I am sure you will not choose a better in my stead."

Earle was generally very healthy, though he once broke his arm. He became blind many years before he passed away. Even at 90 years old, he could remember and repeat a hundred lines from his favorite books at any point.

He was known for his jokes. One funny story is that he called his three wives "the world, the flesh, and the devil." Another time, he explained the difference between "exportation" and "transportation" to one of his wives by saying, "If you were exported I should be transported."

Jabez Earle preached on the last Sunday of his life. He smoked his pipe in the church vestry before the sermon, as was his custom. He died suddenly in his chair on May 29, 1768. He was either 92 or 94 years old.

Published Works

Jabez Earle wrote and published many sermons and other works. Here are some of them:

• Sermon to the Societies for the Reformation of Manners, 1704. This sermon was dedicated to Sir Thomas Roberts, 4th Baronet.
• Hearing without Doing, 1706. This was his last sermon given at the Lime Street lecture.
• Sacramental Exercises, 1707. This book was reprinted in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1756, and even translated into Gaelic in 1827.
• On Prayer and Hearing the Word, 1708. This was part of his Friday lecture series at the Weighhouse.
• Sacred Poems, 1726. In this book, he called himself "chaplain to his grace the Duke of Douglas."
• Umbritii Cantiani Poemata, 1729. This was a small book of Latin poems. It included a poem for Prince Frederick and poems remembering people like Joseph Addison and Gilbert Burnet.

He also published about twenty other sermons, including one for an ordination ceremony in 1725 and several funeral sermons. His last known publication was The Popish Doctrine of Purgatory, a sermon from 1735.

Earle also contributed to a series of papers called Occasional Papers between 1716 and 1719. He translated some of Daniel Williams' writings into Latin so they could be shared in other countries. He also wrote some verses about Jeremiah Smith that were included in Smith's funeral sermon.