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<NAME>Leigh Rupinski</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1">
<P> A Believers Triumph OVER DEATH, Exemplified in a RELATION OF The LAST HOURS OF D^r <HI>ANDREW RIVET.</HI></P>
<P>AND An Account of divers other Re|markable In&s;tances.</P>
<P>BEING An Hi&s;tory of the <HI>Comfortable End,</HI> and <HI>dying Words</HI> of &s;everal eminent Men; with other Occa&s;ional Pa&s;&s;ages: All tending to comfort Chri&s;tians again&s;t the Fear of Death, and prepare them for a like Happy Change.</P>
<Q><HI>He &s;hall enter into Peace: They &s;hall re&s;t in their Beds, each one walking in his &V;prightne&s;s.</HI><BIBL>I&s;a. 57. 2.</BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>Benjamin Al&s;op</HI> at the <HI>Angel</HI> and <HI>Bible</HI> in the <HI>Poultrey,</HI> 1682.</P>
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The PREFACE.</HEAD>
<P><HI>I</HI> Will not trouble the Reader with a long Preface to a little Book, nor wa&s;te Time in an affected Apology for my Undertaking to publi&s;h the en|&s;uing Stories in the Engli&s;h Tongue; for I doubt not but up|on a &s;erious Peru&s;al, the things here Related will be e&s;teemed by every Pious Chri&s;tian of that worth and u&s;e, as will &s;uffici|ently recommend this Account of them to their good acceptance, who were not capable of reading them in another Language.</P>
<PB REF="3">
<P> The fir&s;t, and large&s;t part, of what is here offered to your Service, (viz. <HI>The la&s;t Hours of Dr.</HI> Rivet) was fir&s;t written, and publi&s;hed in the French Tongue, and &s;oon after turned into Latine, and printed again in the la&s;t Edition of his learned and elaborate Works; from whence you have it now tran&s;lated into our own Language: I have added nothing of my own to it, nor omit|ted the mention of the lea&s;t cir|cum&s;tance there &s;et down, but have faithfully repre&s;ented the whole in the &s;ame order as I met with it my &s;elf: And I may mode&s;tly &s;ay, 'Tis as great <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Story of this kind as mo&s;t Age<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> can furni&s;h us with. That thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB REF="3"> might not go alone, I have in the <HI>Appendix</HI> added the Me|morable Examples of the Ble&s;&s;ed and Peaceful End of &s;ome others al&s;o, eminent for their Piety, and zealous Profe&s;&s;ion of the Prote&s;tant Religion while they lived: In which (where no other Author is cited) I have followed the Authority of <HI>Melchior Ada|mus,</HI> or of tho&s;e from whom he made his Collections; and do a&s;|&s;ure you, that as there is nothing Reported without good Warrant, as to the truth of matter of fact, &s;o I am confident nothing will occurre, but what is &s;uitable to feed and increa&s;e tho&s;e holy Af|fections, and that Pious Zeal, which I hope the foregoing Nar|rative
<PB REF="4"> may enkindle in the Rea|ders heart.</P>
<P>That which I aim at in the whole is, the Quickening and Encouragement of Chri&s;tians in their &s;piritual Cour&s;e; and that the weighty Sayings, and happy End of the&s;e Great men may provoke us to imitate that wor|thy Pattern of Faith and Holi|ne&s;s, which they have left us both living and dying: In&s;tructi|on backt by Example is more powerful than that given by Precept alone: 'Tis truly &s;aid, <HI>Verba docent; Exempla tra|hunt:</HI> i. e. <HI>Words teach,</HI> but <HI>Examples draw:</HI> Howbeit, even the Words of <HI>Dying men</HI> do u&s;ually make a deeper Im|pre&s;&s;ion
<PB REF="4"> upon the Heart, than other Di&s;cour&s;es can doe: The Sayings of one upon the brink of Eternity are next of kin to tho&s;e of one returned from the Dead, and &s;ent back from another World to give us Warning, and direction in our way thither, and therefore do ju&s;tly claim a more than ordinary attention from us. The&s;e men call to us from the borders of Light, having alrea|dy ta&s;ted the Fruit of the hea|venly <HI>Canaan;</HI> and have left behind them &s;uch a feeling Te|&s;timony of its Sweetne&s;s and Glo|ry, as may greatly engage our Souls in pur&s;uit after that &s;ame Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s which they are arri|ved at. And if we would have
<PB REF="5"> our Death to be as Gainf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and Comfortable as theirs, w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> mu&s;t make the Glory of Chri&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the highe&s;t End and De&s;ign o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> our Lives, as they did. Wha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> is the Talent of Time lent u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> for, but that we might wor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> out our own Salvation with fea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and trembling? We lo&s;e all ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> time and pains that are not em|ployed this way; and &s;hall a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> la&s;t be of his mind that &s;aid upon his Death-bed, <HI>I repent</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dr. <HI>Donn.</HI></NOTE> <HI>of all my Life, but that part of it which I &s;pent in Communion with God and doing Good.</HI> All the World will not relieve a Dying Man; <HI>For what will it profit a</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 16. 26.</NOTE> <HI>man if he Gain the whole</HI>
<PB REF="5"> <HI>World, and lo&s;e his own Soul? or what &s;hall a man give in Exchange for his Soul?</HI> The greate&s;t Monarch that dyes without Grace, mu&s;t &s;ub&s;cribe to the la&s;t words of <HI>Sept. Severus</HI> the Roman Em|perour, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pezel. Mellif.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">. i. e. <HI>I have been all things, and nothing profits me.</HI></P>
<P>I cannot but adde the Grave and &s;erious words of <HI>Salma|&s;ius,</HI> who was a Man of Great Learning, of extraordinary dili|gence in his Studies, and of Great Fame among the Scholars of this la&s;t Age; and yet upon his Death-bed he pours forth this bitter Complaint:</P>
<PB REF="6">
<P><Q>Oh I have lo&s;t a deal of Time! Time! that mo&s;t pre|cious thing in the World, where|of had I but one Year longer, it &s;hould be &s;pent in Reading <HI>David</HI>'s P&s;alms, and <HI>Paul</HI>'s Epi&s;tles: Oh Sirs, mind the World le&s;s, and God more; All the Learning in the World without Piety, and the true Fear of God, is nothing worth: The Fear of the Lord that is Wi&s;dom, and to Depart from Evil that is Under&s;tanding.</Q></P>
<P>In like manner, the Great <HI>Hugo Grotius,</HI> after all his Labour, Study, and Proficiency in other Knowledge, at the clo&s;e of his Life told his Friends, <Q>That he would give all his
<PB REF="6"> Learning and Honour for the Plain Integrity and Piety of <HI>John Urick;</HI> who was a de|vout Poor man, that &s;pent eight hours of his time in Pray|er, eight in Labour, and the other eight he allowed for his Sleep and nece&s;&s;ary Refre&s;h|ments.</Q></P>
<P>The&s;e Learned men found Re|ligion to be the True&s;t and Be&s;t Wi&s;dom in a Dying Hour: This is the one thing needfull; and we &s;hall all find it &s;o, when we mu&s;t take leave of this World, and make our appearance before God. That the following lines may thro' the Ble&s;&s;ing of God be made u&s;eful to the awaken|ing a &s;ence of Religion in tho&s;e
<PB REF="7"> that do peru&s;e them, is my De|&s;ire, and &s;hall be my earne&s;t Prayer to him who alone can ble&s;s the Seed &s;own, and in|crea&s;e the Fruits of Righteou&s;|ne&s;s.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Nehemiah Coxe&punc;</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P>THe Errors of the Pre&s;s which di&s;turb th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ence, are thus to be corrected:</P>
<P>Page 19. l. 23. for <HI>Order</HI> r. <HI>Ardor,</HI> p. 20. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> 10. for <HI>great very</HI> r. <HI>very great,</HI> p. 40. l. 19. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"> <HI>&s;eeing,</HI> p. 133. l. 4. dele <HI>which,</HI> p. 200. l. 8&punc; dele <HI>his.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="7">
<HEAD>THE LAST HOURS OF Dr. <HI>ANDREW RIVET.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1-51" TYPE="pages">
<P>&sect;. 1. THE multitude and variety of things memorable which do occurre in this Narrative, doth &s;o much amaze us, that through fear of our own in&s;uf|ficiency either to remember, or expre&s;s them in a due man|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er, and according to their <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ignity and worth, we cannot <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ut wi&s;h, this task had been <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ndertaken by abler hands. But <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eeing it is matter of fact, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ords heard, which we are to
<PB N="2" REF="8"> give an account of, we had rather (&s;o we may but &s;erve the profit of our Friends) ex|po&s;e our prudence unto cen|&s;ure, than be defective in our care and good endeavours in this matter; wherein, that we might be &s;ure to write no|thing but mo&s;t certain Truth, we have cho&s;en to bury many things in oblivion, by a &s;ilen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> pa&s;&s;ing over what we hav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> but an imperfect remembranc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of; and &s;hall content our &s;elve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to make a rehear&s;al with &s;im|plicity and truth, of tho&s;e grav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and almo&s;t divine Speeches which as they were poure<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> forth by this Holy man, wer<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> faithfully pre&s;erved, partly i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Memory, and partly in th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> written Notes of tho&s;e wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> con&s;tantly attended on him And yet though we employ ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> utmo&s;t diligence herein, w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="3" REF="8"> &s;hall never be able to give them their ju&s;t weight and Empha&s;is; for who can imitate that flowing &s;tream of words which with equal wi&s;dom and piety proceeded from him, in an (almo&s;t) continued di&s;|cour&s;e, for the &s;pace of twelve dayes and as many nights? Or who can repre&s;ent to the Life the motions of a mind, boyl|ing with Meditations, when the Spirit of God admini&s;tred &s;uch an extemporary effort of &s;ayings proceeding from his fruitful brea&s;t, and gravely uttered when his &s;ences were no waies impaired, as he was diver&s;ly acted either by Grief and Fear, or Hope and Joy?</P>
<P>&sect;. 2. It will be but nece&s;&s;a|ry, before we enter upon the Relation of other things, brief|ly to mention &s;omething con|cerning
<PB N="4" REF="9"> the Temper and Di&s;|po&s;ition of this holy per&s;on, and his Circum&s;tances before his la&s;t &s;ickne&s;s, that the Grace of God towards his Servant may appear the more illu&s;tri|ous; when we &s;ee with what care and Providence he di&s;po|&s;ed his Affairs in the whole cour&s;e of his life, but e&s;peci|ally in this la&s;t act thereof.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides tho&s;e excellent gifts wherewith he was adorned (which cannot here be reckoned up particularly) through the Goodne&s;s of God he had been fa|voured with the enjoyment of a &s;ound Mind in a &s;ound and healthy Body; he was of a chearful and &s;edate Spirit, hold|ing on in an even cour&s;e of Life, neither lifted up with pro&s;perity, nor ca&s;t down by adver&s;ity. So that by the ha|bit of a comely and moderate
<PB N="5" REF="9"> deliberation, he was ever ble&s;|&s;ed with an inward Joy, and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed all things with de|light and Gratitude; being no le&s;s ready to part with them without regret and trouble, pur|&s;uing his own profit and ad|vantage in a &s;erious contempla|tion of the vanity of all worldly things; often repeating that of the Apo&s;tle: <HI>The things which are &s;een are temporal, but the things which are not &s;een are eternal,</HI> 2 Cor. 4. 18. He was never moved with &s;orrowful events that fell out &s;uddenly, whether in publick, or in his private concerns, as a man &s;urprized by an unexpected evil; neither was the tranqui|lity of his mind &s;haken by them: He was wont to &s;ay; <HI>Nothing is impo&s;&s;ible; I wonder at no|thing.</HI> Neither on the contra|ry, did he at any time break forth
<PB N="6" REF="10"> into a loo&s;e and immoderate Joy; as being one &s;et in an higher place, and looking down upon all things here below as uncertain and peri&s;hing. He never found him&s;elf, on any other account under &s;uch per|turbation, nor &s;hewed the like, as upon the decea&s;e of the young Prince of <HI>Orange,</HI> who from a Child had been committed to his in&s;truction and tuition; and who&s;e Death (as he often af|firmed) he bewailed out of pure Charity, and not for any private lo&s;s that him&s;elf might &s;u&s;tain thereby: Becau&s;e the confidence he had of his excel|lent di&s;po&s;ition, and expectati|on of his longer Life, had rai|&s;ed him to the hope that he would prove a u&s;eful In&s;tru|ment for the good both of the State and the Church. From that time he &s;eemed to be more
<PB N="7" REF="10"> than ever drawn off from world|ly things, and u&s;ed to &s;peak of them with a certain loath|ing and di&s;dain. The frame of his mind was al&s;o di&s;cove|red, by a frequent interrupting of his accu&s;tomed cour&s;e of read|ing the Scriptures in order in his Family, and turning to &s;ome &s;elect Chapters, &s;uch as <HI>Job</HI> 14. <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 3. and 4. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 49. and 144. From whence he took the occa&s;ion of &s;uch di&s;cour&s;es, as &s;hewed what Meditations he was cu&s;tomarily taken up with.</P>
<P>&sect;. 3. In the la&s;t week where|in he lived in health, being in his Garden accompanied by a Friend, and walking up and down therein, as he was wont, with great plea&s;ure, he gave order what he would have done in the dre&s;&s;ing of &s;ome Trees, and then added: <HI>If I live till</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="11"> <HI>the Spring time, they will afford me a plea&s;ant &s;ight; but if not, I &s;hall be in a Garden far more plea&s;ant.</HI> When his Friend in|terpo&s;ed and &s;aid, There was no cau&s;e why he &s;hould pre|&s;age &s;uch a thing to him&s;elf, &s;eeing he was &s;ound and lively; he received a Rebuke from Dr. <HI>Rivet</HI> to this purpo&s;e: <HI>The time is now come that I am to be treated after another manner; my age is &s;o far declined and ha&s;ting to an end, as plainly to declare that death (which none can be exempted from) &s;tands at my door: And truly death is the principal matter that I meditate on; God is my witne&s;s, that I de&s;ire not it's delay, but am ready with a chearful mind to embrace it, yea even this day, if the will of God were &s;o.</HI></P>
<P>On the &s;ame day he was en|treated by Mr. <HI>Hul&s;ius</HI> the Pa|&s;tor
<PB N="9" REF="11"> of the <HI>French</HI> Church in that place <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Breda.</NOTE>, that on the next day, being <HI>Decemb.</HI> 25. he would preach a thank&s;giving Sermon after the celebration of the Lords Supper; which he con&s;enting to do, cho&s;e for his Text <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 144. 3, 4. <HI>Lord, what is man that thou take&s;t knowledge of him, or the Son of man that thou make&s;t account of him? Man is like to Vanity; his dayes are as a &s;hadow that pa&s;&s;eth away.</HI> In his Sermon he had an eminent a&s;&s;i&s;tance from God, and deli|vered his matter with a &s;trong and clear voice, and great li|berty of &s;peech; and chiefly applyed his di&s;cour&s;e, to &s;hew what favour and honour God had vouch&s;afed unto man, as well in cau&s;ing that the Son of God &s;hould be a Man, as in giving him for our nouri&s;h|ment unto Eternal Life; from
<PB N="10" REF="12"> thence teaching the Notice God took of mortal men, and how it had plea&s;ed him to embrace them in his favour, and to mag|nifie them.</P>
<P>And in &s;peaking to the an|&s;wer of the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>Man is like to Vanity,</HI> he touched upon the lo&s;s of the Prince, who&s;e In|&s;tructor he had been, which was then fre&s;h in memory; but with words no way inclined to flattery, but becoming the Mat|ter and Per&s;on that he &s;poke of, and which breathed forth nothing but pure affection: with|al taking notice of the Good|ne&s;s of God, who in the mid&s;t of his Judgments had &s;hewed mercy to the hou&s;e of <HI>Orange,</HI> to which he had granted a new Offspring (a Son being then born) that the dying hope of that Noble Family might be revived before him: At length
<PB N="11" REF="12"> he clo&s;ed with a Meditation of Death, an example of which <HI>(&s;aid he)</HI> &s;eeing Young men that are &s;trong, have before them in a young man &s;natch't from the earth in the flower of his age and &s;trength, it ought to be often revolved in their minds, and deep thoughts of approaching death to be enter|tained, which admits of no re|turn to life: <HI>What is man?</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>Nothing but fle&s;h, obnoxious to putrefaction? a flower that &s;prings up to day, and to morrow is cut down: even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vani&s;heth away, like the breath that proceedeth out of my mouth.</HI> For the cold being great that day, did &s;o conden&s;e his breath, that it might be &s;een of all to whom he was preach|ing.</P>
<PB N="12" REF="13">
<P> &sect;. 4. When the Sermon was fi|ni&s;hed, he returned home as lively and well as he had been &s;een for &s;ome years pa&s;t; nor did he the next day feel any decay of his for|mer &s;trength. But on Thur&s;|day, which was the 27^t^h of <HI>December,</HI> he began to com|plain <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Anno</HI> 1650.</NOTE> of a pain below his Na|vel; and refu&s;ing to eat any Supper, de&s;ired that a Cly&s;ter might be given him; but it was to no purpo&s;e, the liquor being driven back again with greater force than it was in|jected. That night was pa&s;s'd over partly in bearing of his &s;harp pains, and partly in &s;e|rious di&s;cour&s;es. On Wedne&s;|day morning the complaint of his pain was encrea&s;ed, and he de&s;ired that the u&s;e of a Cly&s;ter might be repeated; which was done accordingly, but with no better &s;ucce&s;s than
<PB N="13" REF="13"> the former: Then were two Phy&s;icians &s;ent for, and they &s;u&s;pecting that the former Cly|&s;ters either had not been skil|fully injected, or el&s;e were not &s;trong enough, made tryal of the like means once and again; but with the &s;ame &s;ucce&s;s as before: for a glutinous humour had already fa&s;t locked up the pa&s;&s;age again&s;t all Remedies. On the next day which was Tue&s;day, they pre&s;cribed Pills of Alloes wa&s;hed; and on Fry|day the Infu&s;ion of <HI>Rhubarb;</HI> either of which did &s;ufficient|ly agitate his body, but effect|ed nothing, neither was any way opened for their pa&s;&s;age, the expul&s;ive faculty being weakened and dulled, &s;o that it could give Nature no a&s;&s;i|&s;tance. The wind &s;hut up in his bowels tormented the &s;ick man, his Belly was &s;wollen,
<PB N="14" REF="14"> and he was afraid to touch either meat or drink, le&s;t there|by his grievance &s;hould be en|crea&s;ed. There were no pro|per means unattempted, nor any kind of help by Cly&s;ters, Fomentations, or Baths, but were made tryal of, untill by the &s;tubborn di&s;ea&s;e that re&s;i&s;ted all Remedy, he was brought unto death, the twelfth day of his &s;ickne&s;s; the Hi&s;tory of which we &s;hall now pro&s;ecute more at large.</P>
<P>&sect;. 5. On the &s;econd day af|ter his di&s;ea&s;e had &s;ei&s;ed him, he well under&s;tanding the na|ture of it, declared what the event would be; <HI>Not</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that I would neglect Remedies; that I may plea&s;e my Friends, I will do what&s;oever is thought meet to be done, being &s;ecure as to the i&s;&s;ue, which I commit to the Pro|vidence</HI>
<PB N="15" REF="14"> <HI>of God:</HI> Then he ask|ed his Neece, M^r^s <HI>Mary Moline,</HI> what &s;he conceived of his di&s;|ea&s;e, which he thought would prove mortal: And when &s;he an&s;wered, That her opinion was the &s;ame; <HI>yet that he had no rea&s;on to fear any thing, ha|ving been long prepared to follow God when he &s;hould call; that the time of his Life hitherto had been long, if it were crowned with an happy and Glorious End.</HI></P>
<P><Q>Thou &s;peake&s;t right <HI>(&s;aith he)</HI> and I pray thee alwaies addre&s;s thy &s;elf to me with like &s;peeches; and while my &s;ickne&s;s continues, depart not from me day nor night: Pro|mi&s;e me now that thou wilt keep a chearful countenance, and that thou wilt &s;peak no|thing to me but what may admini&s;ter joy and &s;upport to
<PB N="16" REF="15"> me; although I fear not death, yet I fear the tryal of tho&s;e pains which I have al|waies had a very &s;harp feel|ing of.</Q></P>
<P>Then &s;uddainly turning his &s;peech unto God, he &s;aid: <Q>Great God! thou art my Father, thou ha&s;t given me both Life, and a new Life, thou ha&s;t taught me from my youth, and I have declared thy won|derful works, for&s;ake me not now in my old age: Hither|to through thy peculiar fa|vour thou ha&s;t pre&s;erved me &s;ound in my body; and my faculties and the functions of my mind have not been impair|ed; &s;o that a little before I was oppre&s;t by this di&s;ea&s;e, I found my &s;elf as apt and ready for the exerci&s;e of my Vocation, as in my Flouri&s;h|ing Youth: O Lord God! if
<PB N="17" REF="15"> it be thy will that I &s;hould longer attend upon thy &s;er|vice, thou can&s;t a&s;&s;wage my di&s;ea&s;e in one moment: but if thou ha&s;t decreed other|wi&s;e, lo here is thy Servant; <HI>thy will be done:</HI> This one thing I begg with mo&s;t in|ward affections, that thou wilt make me conformable to thy good will: Let not thy good Spirit depart from me, that in this conflict thy &s;trength may make me a Conquerour: Accompli&s;h this, O Lord, for thine own &s;ake: And &s;eeing thou ha&s;t imployed me in thy work, grant that I may die an honourable death, and &s;uch as may be an example unto others: That I may &s;tand fa&s;t in that &s;ound Doctrine which I have taught, and may make a good confe&s;&s;ion thereof before wit|ne&s;&s;es, that thereby thy Church
<PB N="18" REF="16"> may be both in&s;tructed and edi|fied. Let me apply to my &s;elf by a lively Faith all the Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, and let them put forth their efficacy in me, un|to my joy and eternal con&s;ola|tion, that nothing in the world, neither affliction, nor di&s;tre&s;s may &s;eperate me from thee, or cau&s;e me to doubt of thy love and favour. Thou know|e&s;t my weakne&s;&s;es and infirmi|ties; permit not the grievou&s;|ne&s;s of my pain to ca&s;t me into impatience or murmuring: ei|ther make my pains tolerable, or furni&s;h me with fortitude and con&s;tancy &s;ufficient to bear them: That I may not offend with my Tongue, keep thou the door of my lips.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 6. The remainder of the day was taken up with pains, the u&s;e of Remedies, and the
<PB N="19" REF="16" MS="y"> Vi&s;its of Friends: when the night came on, he earne&s;tly intreated Mrs. <HI>Rivet</HI> his wife, that &s;he would retire her &s;elf into the next Chamber; not only be|cau&s;e &s;he was afflicted with a vehement Cough, but al&s;o that he might remove her from the grievous &s;ight of him&s;elf when tormented with his pains; and becau&s;e he found his tender affections more moved at the &s;ight of her, than any other per&s;on. So none remained with him but his Neece Mrs. <HI>Mary Moline,</HI> and two of the hou&s;e|hold &s;ervants. But who can particularly relate the &s;peeches which he uttered, and in a manner poured forth that night and the day following? (which was Thur&s;day <HI>Decemb.</HI> 29.) with an Affection and Order in|expre&s;&s;ible, breathing from his Heart nothing but Repentance,
<PB N="20" REF="17"> Faith, Charity, and holy Zeal! In a word, he implored the mercy of God with the Great|e&s;t &s;elf-denial, and aba&s;ement of Soul, confe&s;&s;ing him&s;elf to be a mi&s;erable &s;inner, and ca&s;ting away all confidence in any good thing which he had done in his life; yea &s;peaking of that with great very contempt, he ac|cu&s;ed his own defects, and a&s;cri|bed unto God the Glory of his good works; often repeat|ing &s;uch expre&s;&s;ions as the&s;e.</P>
<P><Q>It is God that hath wrought the work for me: Shall I al|ledge or plead my own Righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;es before him? Far be that from me: If I &s;hould ju&s;tifie my &s;elf, my own mouth would condemn me; I will rather open my &s;in before him, in a mo&s;t hum|ble confe&s;&s;ion of it, and pray
<PB N="21" REF="17"> that he will increa&s;e in me the Grace of true Repentance; yea let him wear out this body with &s;orrow, it mat|ters not; &s;o he give to me a broken and a contrite Heart, which is a &s;acrifice accepta|ble to him&s;elf; As for my part, I do mo&s;t willingly of|fer up my &s;elf: Accept O Lord this imperfect Sacrifice, and &s;upply the defects there|of by the perfect Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of that great high Prie&s;t who through the eternal Spi|rit offered him&s;elf unto God without Spot, Let me be accepted as a living Sacri|fice, holy, and well-plea&s;ing unto God, which is our rea|&s;onable &s;ervice. Crucifie, O Lord, this old man, that the bo|dy of &s;in may be utterly de&s;troyed, and I may ri&s;e again unto a new life: <HI>The</HI>
<PB N="22" REF="18"> <HI>wages of Sin is death, bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. <HI>ult.</HI></NOTE> <HI>the Gift of God is Eterna<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> life by Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord</HI></Q></P>
<P>Then repeating the word <HI>Gift</HI> he added:<Q> It is meer Grace not of Works, but of him that calleth; <HI>Who &s;hall la<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 33.</NOTE> <HI>any thing to the charge of God elect? It is God that ju&s;tifieth Who is he that condemneth? I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> is Chri&s;t that dyed, yea rathe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> that is ri&s;en again, who is eve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> at the right hand of God, wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> al&s;o maketh interce&s;&s;ion for us.</HI></Q></P>
<P>Then after a little interrup|tion of his di&s;cour&s;e, by a &s;hor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;leep; he thus proceeded.</P>
<Q><P>I am God's and he wil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ave me; he hath honoure<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> me with an holy Calling; and hath not &s;uffered his gif<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> to be altogether u&s;ele&s;s in me as to the Edification of hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="23" REF="18"> Church: As to my &s;elf, I can mo&s;t truly affirm, that I have not &s;erved him for filthy Lucre, but with a &s;in|cere heart; and that I was my &s;elf fir&s;t per&s;waded of the truth of the Go&s;pel, and experienced the efficacy there|of, before I preached it to others,</P>
<P>I ta&s;ted the good Word of God, which by it's power pierceth even to the dividing a&s;under of Soul and Spirit, and is a di&s;cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Thou ha&s;t known my heart, O Eternal God! thou know|e&s;t that I am not a&s;hamed of the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, but have e&s;teemed it my only honour to &s;erve thee; and that I have delighted my &s;elf in the plea&s;ure of obeying thy will! Such was thy good|ne&s;s
<PB N="24" REF="19"> unto me! I truly and humbly acknowledge, that what&s;oever good was in me, flowed from thy Grace; bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> my defects ought to be a&s;cri|bed to my inbred Corrup|tion: <HI>Alas!</HI> I acknowledg<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> this with humble and &s;eri|ous repentance; how oft hav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> I &s;inned in &s;o holy a Charge not only by omitting man<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> things which I ought to hav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> done, but al&s;o by doing ma|ny things ami&s;s! How of have I offended through neg|ligence, and &s;lackne&s;s! Long &s;ince had I been ca&s;t off, wer<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> it not that I had to do wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;o good a Lord, who hat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> born with me, and hath bee<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;o gracious to me as no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to exact a &s;evere account o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> my Words and Works! <HI>Alas&punc;</HI> O Lord my God! Enter no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> into Judgment with thy &s;er|vant,
<PB N="25" REF="19"> for in thy &s;ight &s;hall no man living be ju&s;tified. Let me be found not having mine own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, but the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of thy Son, for the &s;ake of which, I beg thy favour. Pardon, O my God, Pardon the Iniquity of thy Servant, who is devoted to thy Fear: I refu&s;e not thy di&s;cipline, I know it is nece&s;&s;ary; only this I earne&s;t|ly beg, that it may turn to my Salvation: Cha&s;ten me, O Lord, but in mea&s;ure, le&s;t thou bring me to nothing: Let not my tryal exceed my &s;trength, le&s;t I Sin through Impatience, and become a Scandal to tho&s;e I &s;hould edifie. O let me never break out in|to a murmuring complaint: O how light is this cha&s;ti&s;e|ment, if compared with my fault! What are the&s;e tem|poral
<PB N="26" REF="20"> pains, in compari&s;on with tho&s;e Eternal torments from which I am redeemed by him that poured out hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Soul upon the Cro&s;s for me! <HI>For Me!</HI> This is the languag<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Faith, which makes a par|ticular application of Gene|ral Promi&s;es. <HI>This is a faith|ful &s;aying, and worthy of a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 1. 15.</NOTE> <HI>acceptation; That Je&s;us Chri&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> came into the World to &s;av<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;inners, of whom I am Chief</HI> Lord, I believe, help tho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> mine unbelief: Turn tho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> me, and I &s;hall be turned in|deed: Seal all thy Promi&s;e in my Soul: Cau&s;e in the in|mo&s;t of my heart a lively per+ception of tho&s;e &s;weet word<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>My Son, be of good comfor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> thy &s;ins are forgiven the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI></P></Q>
<P>With &s;uch holy Meditatio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and &s;peeches as the&s;e, was th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Thur&s;day night pa&s;&s;ed over.</P>
<PB N="27" REF="20">
<P> &sect;. 7. On Friday morning, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dec.</HI> 30.</NOTE> Mrs. <HI>Rivet</HI> his Wife, put him in mind of &s;ending one to the <HI>Hague</HI> for his Son: <HI>By all means</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>that ought to have been done &s;ooner;</HI> and then gave or|der him&s;elf concerning it. About Nine of the Clock he was vi|&s;ited by <HI>Rene&s;&s;ius</HI> a Doctor of Divinity, and Pa&s;tor of a <HI>Dutch</HI> Church; who in the Latine Tongue &s;aluted him after this manner: <HI>Mo&s;t excellent man, how do you?</HI> To whom he an&s;wer|ed in the &s;ame Language: <Q>I am yet &s;trong, neither doth my Speech fail me; but that pa&s;&s;age in my bowels is not yet opened, and unle&s;s that be opened, I &s;ee I mu&s;t make my pa&s;&s;age another way, even that which the Eternal God hath &s;et before me from my Infancy: I &s;hould be the
<PB N="28" REF="21"> mo&s;t ungratefull of men, if I &s;hould not acknowledge the mercy of God towards me, who hath &s;o wonderfully pre&s;erved me even from my Cradle: </Q> Then rehear&s;ing his deliverance from a very dange|rous <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Viz.</HI> A fall where|by his life was in graet hazard.</NOTE> accident that befell him in his Infancy, through the negligence of the Maid; he added,</P>
<P><Q>From that time my Mothe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> con&s;ecrated me unto God and he abundantly ble&s;&s;ed me all my life-time, and the whole Family: And there|fore I place all my hope in the goodne&s;s of God, being ready either to live or to dye. I have alwayes thought, tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> either this di&s;ea&s;e would be my death, or el&s;e the Stone, for I have &s;carce ever been afflicted with any other di|&s;temper: I pray you to te&s;ti|fie
<PB N="29" REF="21"> unto all men, that I dye in that Faith and Doctrine, which I have alwayes deli|vered both in Preaching and Writing: And if perhaps in &s;ome things I have erred, I pray God that he will make perfect all my Imperfecti|ons.</Q></P>
<P>The re&s;t of the day was filled up with the Vi&s;its of Friends; for he would have none hindred from coming to him.</P>
<P><Q>Let all that will <HI>(&s;aith he)</HI> have acce&s;s to vi&s;it me; I ought to give an Example of dying to other men.</Q></P>
<P>With &s;uch &s;ayings as the&s;e, he filled the by &s;tanders both with Con&s;olation and with Won|der; while he thus proceeded: <Q>Come &s;ee a man who is an Example of the Great Mercy of God: What &s;hall I render unto him? All his Benefits
<PB N="30" REF="22"> overwhelm me: He hath &s;o di&s;po&s;ed my Life, that in my whole Cour&s;e, I have had an healthful Body; he hath heaped upon me both tem|poral and &s;piritual Ble&s;&s;ings: And now before I am ren|dred feeble or moro&s;e thro' Old age, he comes unto me, and prevents me; he both calleth me; and cau&s;eth me willingly to follow him at his Call: And now the end of my Life is within my view, he &s;till affords me the perfect u&s;e of my Rea&s;on, that I may prai&s;e the Holy Name of God in the Land of the Living, and in&s;truct my Neigh|bour by my Example: Pray for me, my Friends, that this Grace may be continued un|to me till I draw my la&s;t breath; that he will &s;treng|then my Faith, confirm my
<PB N="31" REF="22"> Patience, and rai&s;e my Hope; He hath already captivated all my affections to his will; I have ca&s;t the care of me, of mine, of life, and all my af|fairs upon him; Let him do with my body as plea&s;eth him, &s;o it may but be well with my Soul: There is no going hence without pains; this Fle&s;h mu&s;t &s;uffer, and fall; It mat|ters not; provided the Soul obtains new &s;trength; and I arrive at a better Man&s;ion than that made with hands; It is that I a&s;pire to, I lament not the World: I have lived long enough, and have had lei&s;ure to make tryal of all things, and to know that they are <HI>vanity and vexation of Spi|rit:</HI> One thing is nece&s;&s;ary; To fear God and keep his Commandments, for that is the whole duty of man. And
<PB N="32" REF="23"> now there is nothing that I am concern'd about, neither is my life dear unto me, &s;o that I may fini&s;h my cour&s;e with joy, and fulfill the Mi|ni&s;try which I have received of the Lord; which is be&s;t done at the la&s;t: This is <HI>the end,</HI> and this the <HI>mark</HI> which a Chri&s;tian ought to aim at: The end of this frail life is the beginning of Eternal life: O happy change! Truly I fear nothing; Chri&s;t is gain both in life and death; he for&s;akes me not: If he make heavy my bodily pains, yet he in|crea&s;eth the joy of my Soul: Come, and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul; I called upon him, and he inclined his ear and heard me; he hath blotted out my &s;ins as a cloud; <HI>And as a Father pitieth his Children &s;o</HI>
<PB N="33" REF="23"> <HI>the Lord pitieth them that fear him.</HI></Q></P>
<P>His manner was to let no Mi|ni&s;ter part from him, before he had prayed with him; <Q>Pray unto God (would he &s;ay) now is the acceptable time.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 8. Towards Evening, when the Gentlewoman his wife could not be prevailed upon to with|draw, and betake her &s;elf to &s;ome re&s;t; <Q>It troubles me (&s;aid he) to &s;ee &s;o dear a per&s;on, and one that I honour &s;o much, &s;o far in years, and of &s;o weak a body, to wear out her &s;elf at this rate: </Q>But then giving way to her de&s;ire, <Q>Seeing thou wilt have it &s;o (&s;aid he) Tarry; It is a plea&s;ure to me to &s;ee thee: The Lord &s;trengthen thee.</Q></P>
<P>The night before Saturday was &s;pent in grievous pains,
<PB N="34" REF="24"> and in mo&s;t ardent Prayers for the Church of God, for the Princes that were Defenders of it, for the People that lived under their juri&s;diction, and for the Pa&s;tors to whom the care of Souls was committed: Speaking particularly of the <HI>States, (viz:</HI> of the <HI>&V;nited Pro|vinces)</HI> he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>O God withdraw not thy protection from the&s;e Pro|vinces, neither remove thy Candle&s;tick away; Let not thine anger burn again&s;t them becau&s;e of that impiety and profanene&s;s which hath made too great a progre&s;s; Rather bow their hearts unto Repen|tance, and convert men, that they may prevent thy Judge|ments: Let them coale&s;ce in one body: e&s;pecially let them be joyned unto thee, with|out whom all union is but
<PB N="35" REF="24"> con&s;piracy? do thou prae&s;ide in that A&s;&s;embly: bend their hearts &s;o, that all their decrees may turn to the good of the Common-wealth, and e&s;peci|ally of the Church: Grant un|to them, that with due equity, noblene&s;s and gratitude, they may remember that Prince who only remains of the &s;tock of his noble progenitors, whom thou ha&s;t made u&s;e of to ac|compli&s;h thy work in the mid&s;t of them: Indue this child with the Spirit of thy Fear, of Prudence, Fortitude and Magnanimity; and de|liver him from profane men, ba&s;e flatterers, and &s;uch &s;er|vants as are enticers unto, and the In&s;truments of Vices and infamous plea&s;ures; and grant to him &s;uch as are faith|ful, incorrupt, lovers of Truth and Equity, that by
<PB N="36" REF="25"> their means he may learn to di&s;tingui&s;h Vertue from Vice; to &s;hun the one and embrace the other: It is time, O Lord, for thee to help.</Q></P>
<P>When the night was &s;pent he was exceedingly wearied and tyred out, both with over|much &s;peaking, and e&s;pecially by means of ab&s;tinence from drink, with which he was wont to be refre&s;hed: for when through the extremity of his thir&s;t he was forced to take down a little, immediately his &s;tomach ca&s;t it back again, be|ing like a Ve&s;&s;el filled to the top, that could receive no more. The Phy&s;itians afflicted his body with the u&s;e of various Reme|dies, but he bore all with an even temper of mind; often &s;aying,</P>
<P><Q>I have told you before, that the u&s;e of the&s;e things will be to no purpo&s;e: but 'tis
<PB N="37" REF="25"> no matter, I mu&s;t comply with you, do what you plea&s;e, for your own Satisfaction.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 9. That Saturday he was <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dec.</HI> 31.</NOTE> mightily enfeebled, and &s;ome|times very drowzy: he &s;pake but little that forenoon. After+noon when divers friends vi&s;it|ed him, and were di&s;cour&s;ing among them&s;elves of the nature of his di&s;ea&s;e, he heard all that pa&s;&s;ed between them in the Chamber (for he was very quick of hearing) and gathered both from their di&s;cour&s;es, and al&s;o from his own knowledge of the di&s;ea&s;e he labored under, that his di&s;temper was that which Phy|&s;itians call <HI>Mi&s;erere mei,</HI> which he was not likely to pa&s;s through without very grievous Symp|toms: &s;uch as, a <HI>burning Fe|ver, Delirium,</HI> and <HI>vomiting of his excrements:</HI> And thereupon
<PB N="38" REF="26"> he began to be afflicted with much &s;olicitude, while his mind was intent upon the thoughts of the grievou&s;ne&s;s of the&s;e Symptoms: and in frequent Ejaculations he &s;ent up &s;hort and ardent Prayers to God about it.</P>
<P><Q>My God (&s;aid he) have mercy upon me; deliver me from the opprobry which I fear: for thou art gracious.</Q></P>
<P>And &s;miting his belly, he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>This is a bag of filth, a &s;ink, and collection of griefs: But thanks be to my God, that he hath afflicted me in this more ignoble part; my heart in the mean time re|maining &s;trong, and my brain free and clear, &s;o that I might have liberty to meditate upon thy power and goodne&s;s. This favour, O Lord God (which
<PB N="39" REF="26"> is invaluable) re&s;erve for me, That my mouth may utter nothing but what breaths forth Charity, Prai&s;es, and Thank&s;givings: O that it may not be defiled with <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Viz.</HI> The ca&s;ting up of excre|ments.</NOTE> this filthine&s;s. Let this building be brought down where its ruine began, which let me behold as one &s;et on high with a con&s;tant and peace|ful mind, even a mind eleva|ted to &s;piritual things, which with all earne&s;tne&s;s I follow after; knowing that fle&s;h and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, neither can Corruption inherit In|corruption.</Q></P>
<P>And in the in&s;uing night he did often inculcate, <Q>Who is mortal man that thou &s;hould&s;t &s;o magnifie him, and think upon him! He is like to vani|ty: Fle&s;h, and a wind that
<PB N="40" REF="27"> pa&s;&s;eth away. With how &s;mall a thing are the &s;tron|ge&s;t among men ca&s;t down? By a vile excrement, by a little ob&s;truction, which no Remedies can open! Thou ha&s;t done this, O thou Eter|nal one; Thus it plea&s;eth thee; and I would have it &s;o too: Let it be done to me according to thy Word: I am in thy fatherly and Gra|cious hands, I fear nothing; Thou art my &s;afeguard; and my exceeding great reward.</Q> Then he repeated in the He|brew tongue that &s;entence out of <HI>Lamentat.</HI> 3. 24. <HI>Thou art my portion, &s;aith my Soul.</HI> And &s;ee|tho&s;e that &s;tood by him, were alwayes &s;peaking to him of Good things&punc;</P>
<P><Q>Well done, (&s;aid he) cea&s;e not to &s;trengthen me, unto that end God will &s;upply
<PB N="41" REF="27"> you with matter for di&s;cour&s;e, for he is not only pre&s;ent with the &s;ick him&s;elf for his aid, but al&s;o with them that are called to &s;uccour him; for he is nigh unto all that call upon him in truth.</Q></P>
<P>Then he again poured forth his prayers for the Church of God; &s;aying,</P>
<P><Q>O Lord, it is thy po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|on, which thou ha&s;t purcha|&s;ed with thine own blood: for&s;ake not thine own work; let an holy jealou&s;ie be kin|dled in thee, lift up on high the arm of thy power, and bring down the audacious ones, which tyrannize over thy flock; Rebuke thou the negligent, that heal her wounds &s;lightly: Reduce into the way tho&s;e that wander; and &s;trengthen that which is rea|dy to fall, through divi&s;ion:
<PB N="42" REF="28"> Gather both the one and the other to thy &s;elf into one body, building them upon the foundation of the Pro|phets and Apo&s;tles, Je&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elf being the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 20, 21.</NOTE> chief corner Stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth into an ho|ly Temple in the Lord. </Q> And then making a little pau&s;e, he added, <Q>I have been one of tho&s;e builders; I have brought what I received from the Lord, that I might put to my helping hand with others towards the building of this Temple; and I my &s;elf &s;hall be a Living Stone in this Spi|ritual Hou&s;e.</Q></P>
<P>He &s;uffered no day nor night to pa&s;s over without his Pray|ers for the Hou&s;e of <HI>Orange: Tbou ha&s;t afflicted it, O Lord,</HI>
<PB N="43" REF="28"> (&s;aid he) <HI>but we be&s;eech thee let it not be de&s;troyed: Let this</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">The young Prince born but a little be|fore.</NOTE> <HI>Branch grow up, which if it be thy good plea&s;ure, may come to be a fruitful tree in it's time: Let all acknowledge that good to come from thee; and that thou alone can&s;t give both being and well-being: How great folly is it to put confidence in man, and in the Son of man, who is no|thing: His breath goeth forth, and then his be&s;t contrived thoughts peri&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 10. On the next day, which <NOTE PLACE="marg">1651. <HI>Jan.</HI> 1. Lords-day.</NOTE> was the fir&s;t of the year 1651. when he fir&s;t beheld the light he &s;aid,</P>
<P><HI>O Lord thou ha&s;t granted un|to me to &s;ee the beginning of the year: thou ha&s;t mea&s;ured out my time unto the midle of this Age:</HI> Then he asked what hour of the day it was, and what
<PB N="44" REF="29"> weather? when it was an&s;we|red, that the weather was ve|ry &s;harp and &s;evere, he was afraid it might hinder his Son<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> journey to him: Whereupon he addre&s;t him&s;elf to God af|ter this manner.</P>
<P><HI>O my God, bring my Son un|to me, that I may &s;ee him, em|brace him, and ble&s;s him before I dye.</HI> Then turning him&s;el<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to his Wife, he &s;aid;</P>
<P><Q>Do&s;t think this earne&s;t de|&s;ire to &s;ee him proceeds from &s;ome carnal affection? No|thing le&s;s! Truly I love no man any more according to the fle&s;h: I earne&s;tly de&s;ire his eternal Salvation; and I hope to have tho&s;e di&s;cour&s;es with him which may increa&s;e his zeal in adorning his <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">His Son was a Mi|ni&s;ter.</NOTE> &s;piritual Vocation: I have yet &s;pirit, and utterance &s;ufficient for that work. Let none
<PB N="45" REF="29"> be hindred from coming to me: It is u&s;ual for a man in my &s;tation, by admoni&s;hing others, publickly to make con|fe&s;&s;ion of his own Faith: not for the &s;ake of a little vain Glory, O Lord thou knowe&s;t: for it little concerns me to be approved unto men, provided I may approve my &s;elf unto God: but I de&s;ire the Salvati|on of many, and to give te&s;ti|mony to the truth of tho&s;e things which I have publickly taught.</Q></P>
<P>This day al&s;o was taken up with the Vi&s;its of Friends; and among&s;t others that came, there was <HI>Collonel Verneuil,</HI> and &s;ome more Officers in the Garri&s;on, of which two or three were of <HI>Poictou;</HI> unto whom he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>I rejoyce that I have op|portunity to make a Confe&s;&s;i|on of my Faith before you
<PB N="46" REF="30"> that are my Countrey-men; And I pray you to keep it i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> memory, and give te&s;timony of it where it &s;hall be nece&s;|&s;ary: For you &s;ee before you<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> eyes a man (weak indeed but) without guile, who &s;o|lemnly prote&s;teth, That h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> hath never publi&s;hed in hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Writings, nor taught wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> his Lips, any thing that di<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> not agree with the &s;ence o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> his heart, and the Doctrin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> which hath been delivered t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> us by the Prophets and Apo|&s;tles; which is the &s;ame wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> that which is found in th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith of ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Churches, in which I hav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> lived, and in which I pur|po&s;e to dye. The Lord God Almighty confirm you in that Faith, &s;o that nothing may move you from it: <HI>For what will it profit a man, if he gain</HI>
<PB N="47" REF="30"> <HI>the whole world, and lo&s;e his own Soul? Seek ye fir&s;t the Kingdom of God, and the righteou&s;ne&s;s thereof,</HI> and then <HI>all other things &s;hall be added to you.</HI> Learn to number your dayes: And get a wi&s;e heart: Look upon me, and let me be an example unto you: It is but eight dayes &s;ince I preach|ed to you of Mans frailty, be|ing my &s;elf in health, and live|ly at that time, and now you &s;ee the truth of what I &s;aid, in my &s;elf: Certainly what is vi&s;ible to us, and &s;et be|fore our eyes, hath a more per&s;wa&s;ive power, than words which only beat the ears.</Q> And then taking his leave of them, he added, <HI>The Lord deli|ver you from the allurements of the world, and give you an in|crea&s;e of his fear, and of all &s;pi|ritual and temporal gifts.</HI> A
<PB N="48" REF="31"> while after there came to hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the worthy <HI>Snellen</HI> Burgoma|&s;ter of <HI>Breda,</HI> unto whom h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> chearfully gave an account <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the nature of his di&s;ea&s;e, wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the cau&s;es and con&s;equents there of; and then &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>Prai&s;e be to God who hat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> given me to know the en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of my life: I &s;hould be th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> mo&s;t ungrateful of all men, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> I were not contented wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> that mea&s;ure and term <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Life, which he hath afforde<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> me; and if I &s;hould not ac|knowledge his great Good|ne&s;s, and provident care <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> me in the whole cour&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> my life: E&s;pecially I giv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> him thanks for laying ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> this place for me to pa&s;s m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> old age in, among&s;t good me<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> with who&s;e kindne&s;s I hav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> been refre&s;hed, and to who<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> for their multiplied favou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="49" REF="31"> towards me, I can never make a &s;ufficient return of thanks: Of your &s;incere Affection (mo&s;t worthy Sir) in a &s;pe|cial manner I have had expe|rience, for which I give you my hearty thanks, and in your Per&s;on to your whole Corpo|ration, which I be&s;eech you to &s;ignifie to them: and to intreat for me, that they will give me a place of Burial large enough for me, and my wife who will quickly fol|low me.</Q></P>
<P>When he had thus expre&s;t him&s;elf, he di&s;mi&s;&s;ed him with prayers for the welfare of him and his family.</P>
<P>&sect;. 11. About evening he de|&s;ired to be helped out of his bed, and to &s;it in a Chair; where he perceived the &s;wel|ling of his Belly to reach to
<PB N="50" REF="32"> the pit of his Stomach; which gave him apprehen&s;ion that hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> end drew neer; wherefore &s;end|ing for Mr. <HI>Dauber</HI> an emine<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Civilian, he imparted to hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> his purpo&s;e of adding a Codi|cil to his Will: And in orde<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> thereto he &s;ent for the Town Clerk and the two Con&s;uls, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> having fully declared his min<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to them, the bu&s;ine&s;s being don<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and &s;ealed; he began to di&s;|cour&s;e of another &s;ettlemen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> by the re&s;ignation of him&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and his into the hands, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> unto the care of God; expre&s;|&s;ing his a&s;&s;urance of the ble&s;|&s;ing of God upon his: and the added,</P>
<P><HI>That he did exceedingly re|joyce, that he &s;hould leave behi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> him a Wife excelling in virt<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and motherly affection to the chi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|dren of her husband; and al&s;o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Son that was a good man, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI>
<PB N="51" REF="32"> <HI>&s;tudious of peace, who would be a Father to the</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">The Children of one of his Sons that was decea&s;ed.</NOTE> <HI>three little ones, who&s;e Guardian he was ap|pointed by that Codicil.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="51-101" TYPE="pages">
<P>And for this la&s;t office he rendred unto them his thanks, and to the Council of the City in general; and in particular ble&s;&s;ed each of them and their Families. And when they were departed, he went to his bed again; and &s;eeing no body &s;tand about him but his little Family, he &s;aid to his Niece,</P>
<P><HI>My Daughter, do not depart from me, but per&s;i&s;t with me in the duty of Prayer: do not fear to rehear&s;e all tho&s;e words to me which God &s;hall &s;ugge&s;t unto thy heart or mouth; this &s;weet and plea&s;ing communication &s;hall help to pa&s;s over this night with the more ea&s;e: And God will be with us, and a&s;&s;i&s;t our good intenti|ons:</HI>
<PB N="52" REF="33"> <HI>He will help our weakne&s;&s;es, and afford us matter of &s;upplica|tions, and thank&s;givings: &s;uch di&s;cour&s;es are plea&s;ing unto him; he attends unto them that fear him, when they talk together of tho&s;e things that belong to the Salvation of their Souls.</HI></P>
<P>And then as one in a Rap|ture, he &s;aid,<Q> My God! thou ha&s;t drawn me, and I was drawn! thou ha&s;t known me from my Mothers womb, with a Merciful and Effica|cious knowledge: thou ha&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> called me by Name: thou ha&s;t bored mine Ears, and I was attentive: I have decla|red thy me&s;&s;age in the Con|gregation, and thy word was &s;weeter than Honey in my mouth. Who am I! O God, but du&s;t and a&s;hes, an earth|en and a frail Ve&s;&s;el, into
<PB N="53" REF="33"> which notwith&s;tanding thou ha&s;t been plea&s;ed to pour an holy liquor, and &s;eed of im|mortality: Thou live&s;t, and thou make&s;t me to live; I &s;hall not dye, but live for ever, with that <HI>life which is</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3. 3.</NOTE> <HI>hid with Chri&s;t in God: Ble&s;&s;ed and holy is he which hath a part in the fir&s;t Re&s;urrection: over him</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 20. 6.</NOTE> <HI>the &s;econd death &s;hall have no power.</HI> Behold I am dead; and al&s;o rai&s;ed from the dead: I live not in my &s;elf, but in the life of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave him&s;elf for me. What &s;hould I mention more? I can make no return of thy faithfulne&s;s to me, or of the benefits thou ha&s;t be&s;towed on me: Thou had&s;t cho&s;en me, be|fore thou gave&s;t me a being; and it plea&s;ed thee that I &s;hould be born of believing
<PB N="54" REF="34"> Parents, and e&s;pecially of a Mother eminent in Holine&s;s, who dedicated me to thy &s;ervice from my tender years: With how many prayers did &s;he &s;tir me up to that holy purpo&s;e! With what care and affection did &s;he in&s;till the &s;eeds of Piety into me! And the Almighty God who worketh all in all, gave his ble&s;&s;ing to this diligent nur|ture, and heard her ardent prayers; and my Mini&s;try hath been accepted of him; I am thy &s;ervant, O my God, thou ha&s;t taught me from my youth; and I have taught thy wonderful works, and thy grace unto this day; for thy gifts have not been without fruit in me: Thou u&s;e&s;t weak in&s;truments for the accompli&s;hing of thy work: Thou ha&s;t pardoned, thou
<PB N="55" REF="34"> ha&s;t helped me; thou ha&s;t accepted the truth and &s;ince|rity of my heart: And now, O my God, &s;eeing it is evi|dent thou wilt have me re|tire from this valley of Mi|&s;eries, do not thou for&s;ake me in this la&s;t and important act: If it be thy will that I dye; that al&s;o is my will: I am ready, my heart is pre|pared: I give thee my heart, for that is it which thou re|quire&s;t; Let this gift be ap|proved by thee; Receive this gift which is thine own, from him to whom thou ha&s;t given all things, who gives him&s;elf to thee. O Lord, I give thee thanks; thou in|&s;tructe&s;t me, thou inlighten|e&s;t me, thou talke&s;t with my Soul: O Lord thou imbrace&s;t me in the arms of thy mer|cy! Grant al&s;o that I may
<PB N="56" REF="35"> embrace thee by a lively Faith, and that I may apply unto my &s;elf the Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, which I have pro|po&s;ed unto others: let them be Effectual in me, that by them I may be &s;upported again&s;t all pains, yea death it &s;elf.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 12. Then turning his &s;peech to his Niece, he &s;aid: <HI>That I may not tire thee with long di&s;|cour&s;es, Admire thou the Grace of God towards me, and ble&s;s him who fortifies me with pati|ence: Ob&s;erve my words unto my la&s;t breath, and commit them to writing as fully as thou can&s;t, that thereby my deare&s;t Brother, with others of my near kindred and affinity, as al&s;o my friends, may be Comforted and Refre&s;hed:</HI> To which when &s;he returned an&s;wer; That &s;he was unable
<PB N="57" REF="35"> to retain, and commit to wri|ing &s;uch an abundance of holy &s;peeches as flowed from him, he Replyed;</P>
<P><HI>Fear not; only do thine en|deavour, and God will help thee: If God give me &s;trength, I will write a &s;hort Epi&s;tle, which &s;hall be for a te&s;timony that Credit is to be given to thy Relation.</HI> (And he was alwaies wont upon the mention of any thing of this nature, to adde,)</P>
<Q><P> Not that I would hereby procure prai&s;e to my &s;elf; But I would have it known unto all, That the Religion which I have profe&s;&s;ed, and taught in the name of God, is the true Religion, and that alone which leads men unto Sal|vation: And particularly, I would have my brother in|formed of that ine&s;timable Grace which I have received
<PB N="58" REF="36"> of God, that he may be abun|dantly comforted and &s;trength|ened in his expectation of a bet|ter life, which I already enjoy: O with how great love have I loved him, and e&s;teemed him! yea I have loved the gifts of God in him, and &s;hal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> love them to the la&s;t: I pray God who is the giver of every good gift, that he will fullfill, &s;trengthen and make perfect his own work in him; that he will guide him with his Coun&s;el, and at length &s;ave and receive him to his Re&s;t: The &s;ame prayers I make for my Nephew his Son <HI>Stephen,</HI> that he may be an u&s;eful In&s;trument for the promoting of Gods Glory, a diligent workman that needs not to be a&s;hamed, rightly di|viding the word of Truth. O Lord my God, I pray not
<PB N="59" REF="36"> onely for my Brother, but for all tho&s;e in <HI>France,</HI> to whom thou ha&s;t committed the conduct and Rule of the Churches: Ble&s;s their Per|&s;ons; pardon their defects; Sanctifie their Gifts: Grant unto them that they may &s;e|riou&s;ly return unto the &s;im|plicitly which is in Chri&s;t; and that they detract not from the Glory of God, to a&s;cribe unto man what belongs to his Salvation; He is &s;trong and Jealous. If in my writings I have &s;eemed to deal a little warmly with &s;ome of my bre|thren about their new noti|ons, I prote&s;t before God, I was never moved by envy or wrath again&s;t any one in par|ticular, but on the contrary alwayes accounted the men that favoured tho&s;e novelties, among my friends; And the
<PB N="60" REF="37"> more I loved both their Per|&s;ons and Gifts, the more it grieved me that I could not reconcile their Maxims with the Word of God: I do mo&s;t earne&s;tly be&s;eech God, that he will give them the Spirit of Peace, that they may be of the &s;ame Judgment, and &s;peak the &s;ame things: And that the love of God may con&s;train them, and gather them into one in Chri&s;t; <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ph. 4. 13.</NOTE> Till we all come unto the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the mea&s;ure of the &s;ta|ture of the fulne&s;s of Chri&s;t; That following the Truth in love, we may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>I would have thee with|out delay write unto thy Fa|ther;
<PB N="61" REF="37"> he is my Brother in a double bond, I have alwaies e&s;teemed, and loved him; he hath been an u&s;eful In&s;tru|ment for the Glory of God, and I doubt not but he will throughly accompli&s;h his work in him, to the Glory of his own Name, and his eternal Salvation: I go before him, in a little time he will follow after me: he is almo&s;t come to the end of his cour&s;e, and there remains but a little time be|fore God will Crown his la|bours with an Eternal Re|ward.</P></Q>
<P>And here again in an extra|ordinary tran&s;port he brake out into the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions: <Q> O great and Immen&s;e Mercy! who can but be rapt into admi|ration! He gives both being, and well-being; He be&s;towes his gifts, he &s;upporteth, he
<PB N="62" REF="38"> pardoneth, he worketh in us both to <HI>will</HI> and to <HI>do</HI> ac|cording to his good plea&s;ure: and when him&s;elf hath given and wrought all this, yet he gives to us an Eternal Re|ward! <HI>Amen, Amen.</HI> Be it unto me according to thy word, even according to the faithfulne&s;s and &s;tability of thy Promi&s;es.</Q></P>
<P>Then turning his di&s;cour&s;e to his Niece again; <Q>Write al|&s;o (&s;aid he) to thy Brethren, That I love them, and that I pray for their Salvation. And thou my dear Niece! I love thee, not becau&s;e of that near affinity which thou ha&s;t to me, but rather becau&s;e we both have one God, and one Hope. Thou knowe&s;t the love and affection which I have had for thee, which hath been a Paternal love indeed,
<PB N="63" REF="38"> for a token of which, take thou the Bible which thou &s;halt find in my Study: In &s;peci|cial I recommend to thee my Wife, thy very good Aunt: To thy power Comfort and a&s;&s;i&s;t her: Be unto her in|&s;tead of a Daughter, and help her to dige&s;t the Sor|row &s;he will have for my ab&s;ence.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 13. On Monday Morning <NOTE PLACE="marg">Monday, <HI>Jan.</HI> 2.</NOTE> he de&s;ired to ari&s;e out of his bed, that he might write tho&s;e Letters which he had made mention of in the Night: and al&s;o that he might adde &s;ome|thing to the Codicil which was annexed to his Will the Even|ing before: His Strength was &s;ufficient to admit the putting on of his cloaths, and al&s;o his walking into his Study; where he took the Bible de&s;igned for
<PB N="64" REF="39"> his Niece, and gave it to her him&s;elf: And to Mr <HI>Dauber</HI> who was then with him, he gave an <HI>Arabick</HI> new Te&s;tament, and laid by another Book for Mr. <HI>Hul&s;ius;</HI> and one for his Bro|ther <HI>Rivet,</HI> to be immediately &s;ent unto him to <HI>Champuer non</HI> in <HI>France;</HI> unto whom (being returned into his Chamber) he wrote this letter.</P>
<LETTER LANG="eng">
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Dear Brother!</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P><HI>I</HI> Now write my la&s;t to you, with a trembling and dying hand: After the preaching of a Sermon on Chri&s;tmas day in per|fect health: it is now eight daies &s;ince I have been afflicted with a Stubborn Con&s;tipation; and the expul&s;ive faculty is wholly ex&s;tinct in me: Wherefore I am deter|mined by the Grace of God to dye with courage and con&s;tancy: By the ob&s;tinate continuance, and
<PB N="65" REF="39"> pains of my di&s;temper, I am quite worn out; and the day of my di&s;&s;olution draws near. My Niece <HI>Mary Mouline</HI> &s;hall write unto you an account of my la&s;t Hours, and of that tranquility of mind which God affords to me: I ex|pect the coming of my Son, to whom I may commit my Nephews and affairs; He &s;hall give you an account of all. Farewel my deare&s;t Brother! But keep me in remembrance the re&s;idue of thy life, who have loved thee and thine with a great Charity; Love mine again, as thou doe&s;t: I pray God to ble&s;&s;e thee, and all thine: Once again Farewel!</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Dated at</HI> Breda, <DATE>Jan. 2. 1651.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</LETTER>
<P><HI>He wrote al&s;o to Mr.</HI> Mou|line, <HI>his brother by Affi|nity, in the&s;e words.</HI></P>
<PB N="66" REF="40">
<LETTER LANG="eng">
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Deare&s;t Brother,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>IT &s;o plea&s;eth God, that yo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;hould remain alive after me&punc; I now write being upon the bor|ders between life and death, after a Sermon preached on Chri&s;tmas day, which was followed with <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> pertinacious retention, <HI>faecium in alvo induratarum,</HI> and of the re|taining of that load, the Di&s;&s;olu|tion of the body with grievous pains is the nece&s;&s;ary con&s;equent. Your Daughter which mini&s;treth to me in this agony, hath under|taken to write to you of my con|&s;tancy, and the Grace which God affordeth to me. Live unto the Glory of his Name, remembring me and mine, who dye</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Your mo&s;t Affectionate,</HI> &amp;c.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LETTER>
<P>&sect;. 14. When he had written the&s;e Letters, he found him&s;elf
<PB N="67" REF="40"> exceedingly wearied, and de&s;ired to be had to bed again. All this day was &s;pent in receiving his Friends, e&s;pecially the Pa&s;tors who were of divers Nations: unto whom he di&s;cour&s;ed large|ly of &s;urrendring up him&s;elf into the hands of God, and re|cited to them a Confe&s;&s;ion of his Faith, and exhorted them to proceed chearfully in that work which the Lord had com|mitted to them: He gladly re|ceived tho&s;e con&s;olations where|by they endeavoured to a&s;&s;wage his pains, and heard their Pray|ers for him with like joy, al|waies adding, That he was much refre&s;hed by them. All this day the time &s;eemed very long to him, while he expected the coming of his Son.</P>
<P><HI>How fraid am I</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>that I &s;hall not &s;ee my Son! It is the only thing I de&s;ire in this life.</HI></P>
<PB N="68" REF="41">
<P> When he was wholly given up by the Phy&s;itians, and now for many daies had neither re|ceived nor voided any thing, a little after Noon, a good man that was touched with our Af|fliction &s;aid unto us, That it &s;eemed a very wonderful and &s;trange thing to him, that we would &s;uffer a man of &s;o great merit, who was yet &s;trong and hearty, to go out of the world without trying of any Reme|dies: adding, That he knew a per&s;on that was held with the &s;ame di&s;ea&s;e, that was helped by Baths pre&s;cribed by a Chy|rurgeon in the City, who was indeed very skilful in his Art. This per&s;on therefore was im|mediately &s;ent for, who when he came, finding the &s;ick man &s;trong enough to abide the u&s;e of that Remedy, without delay prepares a Bath, by which he
<PB N="69" REF="41"> found him&s;elf much ea&s;ed, and his pains a&s;&s;waged; and that Monday Night, he had a bet|ter Night of it than ordinary.</P>
<P>&sect; 15. The next day in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Tue&s;day. <HI>Jan.</HI> 3.</NOTE> Morning they repeated the Bath, after which a Cly&s;ter was in|jected, which &s;eemed to have begun its work: All that were about the &s;ick man rejoyced, and bad him be of good cou|rage, promi&s;ing his recovery from his di&s;temper; And, to &s;ay the truth, him&s;elf began, if not to hope, yet at lea&s;t to think, it might be &s;o. In the following Evening the Bath was repeated again, after which being had to bed, he began to &s;leep &s;weetly: but had &s;carce|ly re&s;ted half an hour, before he was awaked by the pain of his &s;ide, and a greater ten|tion of his Belly than before,
<PB N="70" REF="42"> and the acce&s;s of a Feaver. No+thing was left unattempted fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> his relief, by <HI>fomentations</HI> an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>unctions;</HI> but all was to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> purpo&s;e: The complaint of th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ick man was increa&s;ed, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> he tired out and afflicted wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> extraordinary re&s;tle&s;ne&s;s. An<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> then his Niece perceived tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> there was &s;omething el&s;e trou|bled him more than the pain of his Body; for he remaining &s;ilent, groaned forth mo&s;t bit|ter &s;ighs, whereas before the more he was tormented with pain, the more ardently did he u&s;e to pour out his prayers to God: It was Supper time when &s;he was left with him alone, and then with a mournful voice he asked,</P>
<P><HI>Who is there, is any Stranger pre&s;ent?</HI></P>
<P>And when his Niece had told him, No: &s;he asked him,
<PB N="71" REF="42"> Whence doth this unu&s;ual di&s;|quietude proceed? you &s;eem to me to &s;uffer &s;omething extra|ordinary; what is become of that chearfulne&s;s through which you were wont to pa&s;s through your pains with the greate&s;t Joy?</P>
<P><HI>Alas!</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>He is de|parted from me that made glad my Heart: I have grieved that Holy Spirit the Comforter, who had filled my Soul with Peace and Joy; I have been &s;o wretched and unhappy as to give ear to tho&s;e who &s;pake unto me of my returning into this World: I have been tickled with the de&s;ire of living: And how could &s;uch a thing po&s;&s;ibly be, after the fruits of the Heavenly Canaan had been ta&s;ted by me, and I had by faith taken hold of Supernatural good things? What is now nece&s;&s;ary</HI>
<PB N="72" REF="43"> <HI>to be done? Whither &s;hall I go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> If I &s;peak, he an&s;wers not; ye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> he hath taken from me the pow+er of &s;peaking: Ah, &s;ad change! An holy fire had kindled my me|ditation, but now vain thought<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> hurry me: I cannot get out of my mind an old</HI> Satyr, <HI>and &s;uc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> like trifles. Thus while I am <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> deaths door, I go backwards.</HI></P>
<P>And here ca&s;ting his arm<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> about her neck, he thus pro|ceeded:</P>
<Q><HI>My Dear Niece, help <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">e continue to di&s;cour&s;e of Go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"> things with me: Call upon th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> Comforter to return, and rene<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> that excellent work which h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> had advanced in me. O Re|turn! Return! Confirm me wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> thy &s;trength, before I go hence, and be &s;een no more.</HI></Q>
<PB N="73" REF="43">
<P> &sect;. 16. Then &s;he &s;ugge&s;ted to him tho&s;e places of Scripture which by the Divine aid were brought to her mind; in an&s;wer to which, every moment he in|terpo&s;ed tho&s;e words, as made it evident that his Soul which before was &s;inking under its bur|then, began to gather &s;trength &amp; Comfort again. He had &s;carce been a quarter of an hour in that Conflict, before he fell in|to a Swoon; which occa&s;ion|ed the ha&s;ty calling in of his Son, who was come to him but that Morning; and when this &s;inking fit was over, there appeared in him again the &s;ame Tranquility and Chearfulne&s;s of Countenance as formerly: And &s;eeing tho&s;e of his own Hou&s;hold, with &s;ome Friends that u&s;ed to a&s;&s;i&s;t him, and watch with him by turns, in
<PB N="74" REF="44"> the next Room, he attentive|ly fixed his eyes upon each of them; and fir&s;t Addre&s;&s;ing him|&s;elf to his Wife:</P>
<P><Q>Farewell (&s;aid he) my deare&s;t Yoke-fellow! We have lived together in Peace for thirty Years; and I thank thee for thy help, which hath been a great Comfort unto me; for I did ca&s;t all Do|me&s;tick cares upon thee: Con|tinue I be&s;eech thee to <NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">They were his Children by a for|mer Wife, for he had none by her.</NOTE> love my Children with that Pi|ous Affection which hither|to thou ha&s;t had for them.</Q></P>
<P>Then turning his Speech to his Son, he &s;aid, <Q> And thou my Son! Love and Honour this deare&s;t Companion of my Life, the Partner of all my Joys and Sorrows, which hath done the Duty of a Mother toward thee; this I de&s;ire of thee, and this I command thee,
<PB N="75" REF="44"> as thou expecte&s;t a ble&s;&s;ing from God upon what I have gotten by my labour, divide it between you without quar|relling or contention, accor|ding to what is ju&s;t and right; Manage all thy Affairs with all Lenity and Chri&s;tian Pru|dence; e&s;pecially pur&s;ue Peace, O <HI>Frederick!</HI> (for that was his Sons Name, to which he alluded) <HI>Be rich in Peace.</HI></Q></P>
<P>Then taking hold of both their Hands, and joyning them together:</P>
<P><HI>Promi&s;e me,</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that you will maintain an holy and mutual friend&s;hip with each other.</HI></P>
<P>Which when they had both mo&s;t &s;olemnly Promi&s;ed to do.</P>
<P><Q>I believe you (&s;aid he) for I have no cau&s;e to doubt of your Sincerity; I know that you fear God, and that my la&s;t Commands will be
<PB N="76" REF="45"> of great weight to you; even as I pray God that he will make my Ble&s;&s;ing effectual upon you:</Q></P>
<P>Then turning to his Wife, he &s;aid:</P>
<P><HI>The Lord Ble&s;s thee my dear Love, and &s;trengthen thee; he i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> an Husband to the Widdow, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a Father of the Fatherle&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>And to his Son,</P>
<P><Q>The Almighty Father ble&s;s thee, my Son, guide thee in al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> thy wayes, enrich thee with all Chri&s;tian Virtues, and plen|tifully make thee to abound in all Spiritual and Tempo|ral Ble&s;&s;ings; regard not th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> world nor its deceitful hopes for the world pa&s;&s;eth away, and the Lu&s;t thereof; place all thy Felicity in the Ble&s;|&s;ing of God: be &s;trong in Faith, and prepared unto every good work. Let the
<PB N="77" REF="45"> Peace of God dwell in thee, and make thee Peaceable and kind: Tho&s;e Infants which I commend unto thee, and commit to thy tru&s;t, will be proper Subjects for thee to exerci&s;e thy Charity upon. I appoint and &s;et thee over not only that little Porti|on which I leave them, but e&s;pecially their Per&s;ons, that thou maye&s;t take care of their In&s;truction and Education in Piety and Virtue; that they may be fitted for that Ser|vice of God, which their Na|ture and Ingenie renders them capable of, and e&s;pecially may apply them&s;elves to the Wor&s;hip of God.</Q></P>
<P>And then taking hold of the hand of the elde&s;t of the Chil|dren, he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>Farewell dear Child, the Lord make thee a good and
<PB N="78" REF="46"> a Pious man, that thou may+e&s;t fill up the place of thy Father and Grandfather: He be&s;s thee abundantly, and make thy Studies pro&s;perous unto his Glory; which he will do if thou diligently call upon him, and if thou Stu|dy to be Diligent, Sober, Mo|de&s;t, and humbly Obedient unto God and thy Superi|ours, thy Unkle in particu|lar, which will be in&s;tead of a Father to thee. Give due Obedience and Honour unto thy Mother; Love thy Bro|ther and Si&s;ter, and with|draw thy &s;elf from the Com|pany of young Per&s;ons who will entice thee unto Vice.</Q></P>
<P>And unto his Niece he thus &s;pake:</P>
<P><HI>Farewell my dear Niece, the Lord ble&s;s thee! We have a</HI>
<PB N="79" REF="46"> <HI>Kindred in the Heavens which will endure for ever.</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 17. Now when we thought this night would be his la&s;t, the principal of his Friends were called to him, and among&s;t them Mr. <HI>Hul&s;ius,</HI> and as they &s;tood about his Bed, he atten|tively beheld them, and di&s;|cour&s;ed of his Departure at hand, and his di&s;po&s;ition to give up him&s;elf to the Will of God, with a joyful and free Soul. He exhorted each of them according to their re|&s;pective Condition in regard of Age, Sex, or Quality, and ble&s;&s;ed each of them and their Families.</P>
<P>Then again &s;peaking to his Son, he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>My Friend! Thou lo&s;e&s;t at the &s;ame time both a Ma&s;ter and a Father; but if the Fear
<PB N="80" REF="47"> of God bear rule in thee, God will &s;upply the place of both: Far be it from me to di&s;tru&s;t his Grace for the future: I ca&s;t all my Cares upon him, and give up my &s;elf and mine, my Life and affairs into his hands.</Q></P>
<P>Then he uttered in French Metre the words of the P&s;al|mi&s;t to this &s;ence.</P>
<P><HI>&V;nto whom &s;hall I go for help, O Lord, and in whom is my hope? truly in thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>I am full of dayes: I de&s;ire to be Di&s;&s;olved and to be with Chri&s;t. It is enough, O Lord! Receive now my Soul: I commit this Bo|dy to the Earth, but I commit my Spirit into the hands of God who gave it.</HI></P>
<P>And in a Paroxy&s;me of Pain he &s;aid,</P>
<P><HI>My God, I know this Taberna|cle cannot be di&s;&s;olved without</HI>
<PB N="81" REF="47"> <HI>pain, yet my heart is lively, and I have &s;till &s;trength to bear my pains. O Lord, help mine Infir|mities; depart not far from me in the day of my Sorrow:</HI> Say unto my Soul, I am become thy Salvation.</P>
<P>This la&s;t he rehear&s;ed in the French Metre, and then repeat|ed in Hebrew, from <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16. 5.</P>
<P><HI>The Lord is the Portion of my Inheritance.</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 18. From that Night for|ward it was ob&s;erved, when any one di&s;cour&s;ed to him of Repentance, and of the Grace of God in forgiving &s;ins, he was wont to an&s;wer:</P>
<P><Q>As to this point, I am a&s;|&s;ured that I am reconciled, and clean&s;ed from my &s;in, by the precious blood of my Redeemer; God hath &s;poken, and made known to me al|ready
<PB N="82" REF="48"> that my Sins are blot|ted out; I now ta&s;te this ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a.</HI> 32. 1.</NOTE> <HI>to whom the Lord imputeth not Sin: There is no Condem|nation</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 1.</NOTE> <HI>to them that are in Chri&s;t Je&s;us:</HI> He is come unto me according to his great Mercies, and draweth me, and I willingly follow him; He le&s;&s;ens my bodily Pains, by increa&s;ing the joy of my Soul; he &s;atisfies my thir&s;t for him with the dew of his Grace: Behold I am &s;atiated, I am inriched; <HI>Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God: The Kingdom of God is not</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 14. 17.</NOTE> <HI>Meat and Drink, but Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s and Peace and Joy through the Holy Gho&s;t:</HI> I am fed by my Saviour, who&s;e <HI>Fle&s;h is Meat indeed,</HI> and his
<PB N="83" REF="48"> <HI>Blood is drink indeed;</HI> and as he is the true quickening Bread which came down from Heaven, &s;o he that eateth him, &s;hall live by him: And therefore I live: It is now two dayes &s;ince I have lived not an Animal Life, but I live that Life which I &s;hall eternally Live in the Hea|vens.</Q></P>
<P>That night he made a long and ardent Prayer, the great|e&s;t part of which is &s;lipt out of our Memory: In general he Prayed for all men, and bewail|ed the Corruption of Mankind.</P>
<P><Q>Alas! O Lord (&s;aid he) this is the la&s;t time; there is &s;carce any Faith in the Earth; Men of Veracity are hardly to be found: One &s;peaks to another, yea to his Friend, fraudulently and with a double heart. Alas! Wo
<PB N="84" REF="49"> is me, that I dwell in the Tents of <HI>Kedar,</HI> with tho&s;e that hate Peace. Thou ha&s;t made Peace in thy high pla|ces; Thou give&s;t Peace, but not &s;uch as the World giveth; Wherefore my Heart is not afraid: The Spirit which thou ha&s;t given me, is the Spirit of Power, of Love, and a &s;e|date mind.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 19. On the Wedne&s;day <NOTE PLACE="marg">Wedne&s;|day, <HI>Jan.</HI> 4.</NOTE> morning he found him&s;elf much wearied and enfeebled, partly by the Pains he had endured, and partly by his much and earne&s;t &s;peaking. Both we that were about him, and him&s;elf, were all of the mind that his la&s;t hour was approaching; for which rea&s;on he &s;pake as follows.</P>
<P><Q>Again I bid you Farewell, my Friends; Ob&s;erve me, and
<PB N="85" REF="49"> continue to &s;trengthen me with your Prayers and Exhor|tations; when my &s;peech &s;hall fail, I will endeavour by &s;igns to let you know my Faith and Per&s;everance; My mind cannot be &s;haken, he that pre|&s;erves me is in the Heavens.</Q></P>
<P>When he had again ble&s;&s;ed his Family and all that &s;tood by him, his Speech wholly fail|ed him for a time, &s;o that we expected nothing le&s;s than to &s;ee him draw his la&s;t Breath; but being recovered out of this &s;inking fit, he began to &s;peak again, and when he &s;aw the Chamber full of People, he &s;aid:</P>
<P><Q>How am I Tyred out! will they allow me no time of re|po&s;e? wherefore is there &s;uch a Company about me? have not I &s;poken enough? why am I not allowed a little Re|laxation,
<PB N="86" REF="50"> and one moment o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Solitude, that I may Con|ver&s;e with my God?</Q></P>
<P>Therefore every one with|drew according to his de&s;ire, and we were afraid to com<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> near to him, le&s;t we &s;hould mole&s;t him; but when we heard his Groans, his Niece went in &s;oftly to him, and &s;aid, <HI>Reve|rend Sir, Would you be without my Company, doth it not plea&s;e you that I &s;hould any longer at|tend upon you.</HI></P>
<P><Q>Alas (&s;aid he) I de&s;ire nothing more; do not go from me, but be thou a Wit|ne&s;s of my la&s;t hours: con|tinue with me even to the end. It is a great comfort to me to enjoy quietne&s;s; I cannot bear the &s;ight of &s;o great a Company, e&s;pecial|ly of tho&s;e that come out of meer Curio&s;ity: I have omit|ted
<PB N="87" REF="50"> nothing of what was in|cumbent on me to &s;ay or do: I leave nothing behind me that is matter of regret to me; I have Prayed for the Peace of mine after my de|parture, and I believe Peace &s;hall dwell among them, and that thou wilt do thy endea|vour that it may, for I know thou art of a peaceable Spi|rit: I am &s;atisfied and at re&s;t: I have no more to do here below, I have waited for thy Salvation, O Lord.</Q></P>
<P>She asked if it would plea&s;e him to have his Son come to him?</P>
<P><Q>Yea, (&s;aid he) I ble&s;s God, and rejoice that I have &s;een him and ble&s;&s;ed him before I dye.</Q></P>
<P>When he came near to him, he &s;tretched out his hand and received him kindly, and then
<PB N="88" REF="51"> repeated to him what he had before &s;aid concerning his Bro|ther, affirming,</P>
<P><Q>That he was a very good man, and one furni&s;hed with Gifts that are rather &s;olid and u&s;eful, than con&s;picuous and ornamental; now &s;hall he be the Crown of my Fathers Fa|mily: I ble&s;s God that there remains a man therein to Prai&s;e him both in word and work. The Ble&s;&s;ing of the God of our Father hath been emi|nently on that Branch of our Family from whence we are &s;prung; there have been found therein many good Men who feared God: As for the&s;e little <HI>Nazarens,</HI> I recommend them to God.</Q></P>
<P>And after a little &s;top, he continued his Speech unto his Son:</P>
<P><Q>My Son, I now know thee
<PB N="89" REF="51"> no longer according to the Fle&s;h; my Carnal affections are mortified and &s;wallowed up in the Love of God: My love towards my Wife and Children is now wholly Spi|ritual; I have Prayed unto God that he will Sanctifie, make thee perfect and glori|fie thee: My Son! Is not my happy departure joyful unto thee? what could'&s;t thou with more earne&s;tne&s;s have de&s;ired for me than a glorious and happy end after a long and pro&s;perous Life? Ble&s;s God, through who&s;e bounty I am now filled with Joy and Peace. Fear God my Son, for this is the whole Duty of man. In all thy Actions love Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, Sincerity, Peace, and Truth, that my Ble&s;&s;ing may remain effectually upon thee and thy Nephews.</Q></P>
<PB N="90" REF="52">
<P> &sect;. 20. This whole day was pa&s;t over much to his ea&s;e and quiet, none being admitted to di&s;turb him with their Vi&s;its: He lay &s;till, and was inclined to Sleep; and when he ob&s;er|ved us to look upon him as if he had been a&s;leep; <HI>I &s;leep</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>but my heart waketh.</HI> And when we asked him &s;ome|times how he did, <Q>Very well (&s;aid he) I feel no pain; I am filled with the Grace of God; I am not &s;en&s;ible of cold or heat; I fear no more the inconveniencies of tempo|ral Life; the Spirit of God &s;trengthens me, and affords me abundant Con&s;olations; I have no doubt of my Sal|vation; He hath &s;et me on high: He hath hid me in his hiding place: He hath fenced me round about, and hath perfected what&s;oever concerns
<PB N="91" REF="52"> me: I cannot be troubled any more; I am like a Ve&s;&s;el fill|ed with pure Water, which no agitation troubles. <HI>It is God that Ju&s;tifies; who &s;hall Condemn? it is Chri&s;t that dy|ed, yea rather who is ri&s;en again:</HI> The moments of my time are in his Power. I am wholly taken up in the expectation of the decreed hour, when he will &s;ay, <HI>Come thou good and faithful Servant, enter into the Joy of thy Lord!</HI> O my God, I thank thee that thou ha&s;t given me the Spirit of Hu|mility, Sincerity and Truth! I have not been as a tinckling Cymbal: O Lord thou ha&s;t known the &s;ecrets of my Soul, and my in mo&s;t Thoughts! Thou ha&s;t taught me in the School of true Doctrine, and I have above all &s;ought the Glory of thy Name: I have
<PB N="92" REF="53"> not thought any Virtue or Knowledge to be of my &s;elf, knowing that all my Suffici|ency is from thee alone: I have &s;lighted that My&s;tical Theology which is nothing but Canting, and have adhe|red to that clear, pure and &s;aving Truth which is con|tained in the Holy Scriptures. One word of the Son of God who requires the Heart, is of more worth than all tho&s;e humane Vanities, which are good for nothing el&s;e but to trouble the Purity of the Di|vine Fountains. Suffer not, O Lord, the improbity of men to ob&s;cure the Clearne&s;s of thy Word, which hath been a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path; yea, it &s;till affords a Light unto me, and guideth me in the dark Paths of the Shadow
<PB N="93" REF="53"> of Death. O Lord, I have been jealous for thee, and have mourned in &s;ecret for the Wickedne&s;s of &s;ome, and the audacious Hypocri&s;ie of others, who have A&s;&s;embled them&s;elves to pull down what thou had&s;t built up by thy Mercies. There yet remain Pious Souls who love the Peace of <HI>Zion,</HI> and mourn under the&s;e Confu&s;ions; hear their Prayers: In particular have Mercy on tho&s;e mo&s;t flouri&s;hing I&s;lands where &s;o much of the Blood of thy Martyrs hath been &s;hed; turn the People in them to thy &s;elf, and to their King; give thy Judgments unto that poor Prince, and make him wor|thy to have his ju&s;t Prayers heard; Give the Spirit of Mo|deration and Wi&s;dom to his own Nation, who have &s;ent
<PB N="94" REF="54"> for him, that they may re|quire nothing of him, but what is weighed in the Ba|lance of Ju&s;tice.</Q></P>
<P>The&s;e Di&s;cour&s;es being began towards Evening, were conti|nued till it was Night; which he perceiving and wondring at him&s;elf, &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>And am I yet alive, and thus able to &s;peak? God hath done it, he endues me with new Strength that I may glo|rifie him, and extoll his holy Name. O Lord, I wait for the moment which thou ha&s;t determined, I believe, I per|&s;evere; I am not troubled: The Spirit of God witne&s;&s;eth with my Spirit that I am a Child of God: O Lord thou ha&s;t known me throughly; I am thy Servant; help all mine Infirmities; perfect thy work in me: Patience and
<PB N="95" REF="54"> Hope make not a&s;hamed; the Love of God is in me, even that Love whereby I earne&s;t|ly de&s;ire the Salvation of all, yea of tho&s;e which have of|fended me without Cau&s;e; I forgive them, and Pray for them; There is no bitter Gall in me, for God hath cau&s;ed all bitterne&s;s to pa&s;s from me, and hath given true Peace in me; for I roll my &s;elf upon him.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 21. On Thur&s;day morning <NOTE PLACE="marg">Thur&s;day, <HI>Jan.</HI> 5.</NOTE> turning his eyes towards the light, he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>It is day light: Shortly I &s;hall no more know the dif|ference of Day and Night; I am come to the Eve of that great and eternal day, and am going unto that Place where the Sun &s;hall no more give light: God will be an
<PB N="96" REF="55"> everla&s;ting Light unto me and already O Lord thou &s;end|e&s;t the Rayes of that Light in|to my Soul, and opene&s;t mine eyes that I may perceive them. O how powerfully do&s;t thou work in me! while this Old man dyes and decayes, thou putte&s;t on me the New man, which is renewed in Know|ledge after the Image of him who Createth it; that is live|ly, &s;eeth, heareth and walk|eth with enlarged &s;teps; it de&s;ires nothing more than an outlet into perfect Liberty: Deliver me from this Pri&s;on, that I may celebrate thy Name; Yet neither do I &s;o contemn this Body, as not to think of its Re&s;tauration; for I know thy dead &s;hall live, yea, my dead Body: It is &s;own in Corruption, it &s;hall be rai&s;ed in Incorruption; It
<PB N="97" REF="55"> is &s;own a vile body, but it &s;hall ri&s;e again in glory; It is &s;own in weakne&s;s, but it &s;hall be rai&s;ed again in pow|er: In a word, It &s;hall be conformed to the glorious bo|of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who is become the Fir&s;t-fruits of them that &s;leep: I &s;hall &s;ee him in my fle&s;h: My own eyes &s;hall &s;ee him; I &s;hall behold his face in righteou&s;|ne&s;s, and &s;hall be &s;atisfied with his likene&s;s when I a|wake. He loveth me with an intire affection; he ki&s;&s;eth me with the Ki&s;&s;es of his Mouth: He hath removed all fear far from me, and hath filled me with Peace and Joy in Believing. </Q>He often re|peated that &s;entence, <HI>Amor meus Crucifixus e&s;t;</HI> that is, <HI>My Love is Crucified;</HI> adding,</P>
<P><Q>O Love incomprehen&s;ible!
<PB N="98" REF="56"> what I conceive of him is be|yond all expre&s;&s;ion. Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord, who hath di|rected my heart into the Love of God, and the patient wait|ing for Chri&s;t.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 22. This whole day was &s;pent in like holy di&s;cour&s;es, and the Prayers of Mini&s;ters that came to him, with the Vi&s;its of other Friends. To|wards Evening he found him|&s;elf very weak, and had two or three fainting fits, but his &s;peech did not wholly fail in them; &s;ometimes he would &s;ay,</P>
<P><Q>My &s;trength is quite &s;pent: I am going hence, Lord meet me; do not tarry; take thy Creature.</Q></P>
<P>Towards the middle of the Night, his &s;trength being a little recovered, he reached
<PB N="99" REF="56"> forth his hand to Mrs. <HI>Rivet</HI> his Wife, and &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>Embrace me once more, my dear Love! I love thee no more after the fle&s;h, but after the Spirit; as I have alwayes loved thy Better part: I have lived with thee in holy Con|cord the&s;e thirty years: Thou ha&s;t born mine Infirmities, and ha&s;t been an help to me; and God hath ble&s;&s;ed us toge|ther: I have taken notice of thy good Infirmities, conjoyn|ed with great Piety; and thy Faith, which is not perfect, but &s;incere and true. Thou knowe&s;t (my Love) that God is not a &s;evere Judge, but merciful and Gracious; he chiefly requires from us, a recumbence on his Mercy: He is kind and full of Love. Be|hold in me an Example of Mercy and Kindne&s;s, and from
<PB N="100" REF="57"> thence gather Confidence that he will follow thee with the &s;ame Grace; We have an Al|lyance in Heaven; Thither the Lord takes me, and he will take thee thither al&s;o, and &s;o we &s;hall be together with the Lord for ever. While thou art waiting for that ble&s;&s;ed hour, he will be thy Husband, Father, Com|forter and Defender; and fi|nally will make thee to expe|rience the &s;overaign Effects of his Love. Rejoyce there|fore (my deare&s;t Love) I have prayed for thee. Thy Faith &s;hall not fail; God will &s;uc|cour thy infirmities, which &s;avour of nothing but good|ne&s;s. It is that I love in the Children of God, that they acknowledge them&s;elves to be imperfect before him: God will compleatly per|fect
<PB N="101" REF="57"> thee, doubt not.</Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="101-152" TYPE="pages">
<P>Then turning to his Son,</P>
<P><Q>My Son (&s;aid he) keep for thy &s;elf what is thine; Call upon God as thy Father, for he is the Father of Eternity: Let his fear wholly po&s;&s;e&s;s thee, for that is the principal thing: Seek fir&s;t the King|dom of God and his Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s; and all other things &s;hall be given in over and above unto thee. Take care of my little Children; &s;ee to their pious Education and In&s;truction in their tender years; Let them not frequent evil Company: My Son, I put confidence in thee, and a&s;&s;ure my &s;elf thou wilt ob|&s;erve my commands with all thy power. Let Truth be in thy Heart, Equity and Since|rity in all thy Actions; and
<PB N="102" REF="58"> cheri&s;h Peace and Friend&s;hip among Friends.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 23. Then taking many Friends by the hand that &s;tood by him, he &s;aid,<Q> I pray you love my Son:</Q></P>
<P>And then turning to his Niece,</P>
<P><Q>Farewell (&s;aid he) my deare&s;t Niece! God will ble&s;s thee; yea he hath ble&s;&s;ed thee already; thou ha&s;t mi|ni&s;tred to thy afflicted and &s;ick Parent, and in &s;o doing thou ha&s;t &s;erved the Publick: Let my ble&s;&s;ing remain upon thee: I know and am &s;ure that thou &s;halt be with me in the Heavenly Paradi&s;e, where God hath prepared pla|ces for us, before the Founda|tion of the World was layd: Thou ha&s;t helped me, and God will help thee: Fear not,
<PB N="103" REF="58"> Per&s;evere with me in the clo&s;e of my la&s;t hours.</Q></P>
<P>Then &s;eeing Mr. <HI>Fayan le Coq:</HI> <Q>Are you there (&s;aith he) my dear Cou&s;in? The Lord ble&s;s you abundantly, and grant that in the whole cour&s;e of your life, you may walk in his fear; you belong to an honourable Family, which have layd many Obligations upon me; I pray you write to your honoured Mother an Account of my happy Depar|ture; and al&s;o to your Brethren, whom I pray God abundant|ly to ble&s;s, and give them Peace, and that they may not tru&s;t in the peri&s;hing good things of this World. As for my &s;elf; it is long &s;ince I have turned from corruptible things, and adhered to tho&s;e that are prepared and laid up in Heaven. Every good and
<PB N="104" REF="59"> perfect Gift comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variablene&s;s nor &s;hadow of turning. My God, my de&s;ire is to thee; My Soul thir&s;teth for thee as the parched ground: When &s;hall I enter in, and pre&s;ent my &s;elf before the face of God! Come Lord Je&s;us; Come! I am in thy Bo&s;om; I am ready when it plea&s;eth thee; My Heart is prepared, my Soul is ready: All delay &s;eems long to me till Chri&s;t come; for whom notwith|&s;tanding I wait without im|patience. You &s;ee thro' the Grace of God I am not tired; I wait, I believe, I per&s;evere: Patience is much better than Knowledge; tho' it delay my Joy, yet it &s;ets me in the way to it. The &s;en&s;e of di|vine Favour increa&s;eth in me
<PB N="105" REF="59"> every moment: My pains are tolerable, but my Joy is in|e&s;timable; I am no more vex|ed with earthly cares: I have now no de&s;ires but after hea|venly things: I remember when any new Book came out, how earne&s;tly I have longed after it, till it came to my hands, being alwayes de|&s;irous of learning &s;omething New: But now all that is but as du&s;t: Thou art my All, O Lord! My good is to ap|proach unto thee. O what a Library have I in God! in whom is hid all the Trea&s;ures of Wi&s;dom and Knowledge: I &s;hall no more behold things afar off and darkly; I &s;hall no more know in part; but I &s;hall be filled with the Knowledge of God as the Sea is covered with waters. Thou art the Teacher of Spirits;
<PB N="106" REF="60"> <HI>I have learned more Divinity in the&s;e ten dayes that thou art come to vi&s;it me, than I did in fifty years before:</HI> Thou ha&s;t brought me to my &s;elf, before I went a&s;tray, and was in the world; but now I am con|ver&s;ant in the School of my God, and he teacheth me af|ter another manner than all tho&s;e Doctors, in Reading whom I &s;pent &s;o much time: What Ob&s;curity is there, and what Conjectures? yea what Vanity in all tho&s;e things that proceed from an humane Spi|rit? What va&s;t &s;paces mu&s;t a man pa&s;s over before he find any fruit in them? But thy Doctrine, O my God, is per|fect, and full of good fruits: My Soul is filled as with mar|row and fatne&s;s. With my whole heart I renounce all other Knowledge; and cleave
<PB N="107" REF="60"> to this alone; Je&s;us Chri&s;t and him crucified: I give thee thanks, O Lord, that thou ha&s;t hid the&s;e things from the haughty-wi&s;e, and ha&s;t re|vealed them to the humble. This Body is feeble, but the Spirit is &s;trong and enriched.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 24. Then turning again to his Son, he &s;aid, <Q>My Son! God ble&s;&s;e thee more and more; How greatly do I re|joyce when I behold in thee the Grace of God! It was my great de&s;ire to &s;ee thee from the fir&s;t day of my &s;ickne&s;s. Thou art the younge&s;t of my Sons, and thou only art left alive to me upon the Earth: Thou &s;halt be my <HI>Benjamin;</HI> and God will ble&s;s the Charge I have committed to thee; and will be pre&s;ent with thee for thy help therein. The
<PB N="108" REF="61"> Almighty God give unto thee and thy Nephews ble&s;&s;ings in <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and e&s;pecially &s;piritual Ble&s;&s;ings, for temporal Ble&s;|&s;ings follow upon Spiritual. Prai&s;ed be God that hath made thee a Spectator of my la&s;t Conflict: It is a Conflict, but yet &s;weet, becau&s;e of the Con&s;olations of the Spirit of God, which abound in me. Thou ha&s;t &s;trove enough, O my Soul, re&s;t in God who is thy Saviour.</Q></P>
<P>Then hearing the Clock &s;trike, he asked what hour it was? which when he knew, he &s;aid:<Q> The Time pa&s;&s;eth away, and we pa&s;s away with the time; howbeit we are confirmed and &s;trengthened by the Grace of God every hour.</Q></P>
<P>Then &s;miting upon his Brea&s;t, he &s;aid:</P>
<P><Q>There is Joy within by the
<PB N="109" REF="61"> habitation of the Spirit of God in me. O Good God! who am I, that thou &s;hould&s;t vouch|&s;afe to come and dwell under my poor roof! So it hath plea&s;ed thee, O Lord, that thy Spirit &s;hould dwell in me to the end; and therefore I have cau&s;e of rejoycing in earne&s;t.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 25. Thus was the Thur&s;|day <NOTE PLACE="marg">Fryday, <HI>Jan.</HI> 6.</NOTE> night pa&s;&s;ed over: The poor &s;ick man was wearyed, and exceeding thir&s;ty, yet dur&s;t not drink: He &s;eemed to be breathing out his Soul every moment, and panted for delive|rance; but the end of his Con|flict was not yet come; there remained &s;till above twenty four hours to be undergone, and tho&s;e very &s;harp. His Son had betaken him&s;elf to &s;ome re&s;t in the morning; and after a while
<PB N="110" REF="62"> coming into the Chamber a|gain, his Father &s;aid to him,</P>
<P><Q>A good day to you, Son! I am glad you have taken &s;ome re&s;t: Help me a little.</Q> Which being done, he added,</P>
<Q><P>My Son, this duty will be plea&s;ing to God; I &s;hould have reckoned my &s;elf happy if in any thing I could have helped my Father; he was a good and a pious man: I had al&s;o an holy Mother, which de&s;erved very well of the whole Family; there was in her an holy Ambition and ardent Charity. My Son, how do I rejoyce to &s;ee thee! I have yet many things to &s;ay to thee; Remember that thou &s;peak to the <HI>Illu&s;trious Prin|ce&s;&s;es Dowagers,</HI> and tell them that I dye devoted to them in all dutiful affection, and that I recommend unto them
<PB N="111" REF="62"> the utmo&s;t I can the In&s;titu|tion of the illu&s;trious <HI>Colledge</HI> in this Town; which is in|deed the honour of the hou&s;e of <HI>Orange,</HI> and of his memory who founded it, unto whom in my own particular I am laid under very great Obli|gations.</P>
<P>That great Prince who fir&s;t called me to his &s;ervice in his hou&s;e, heaped his benefits up|on me, and (without vanity I &s;peak it) honoured me with his friend&s;hip; of which he could give no greater Te&s;ti|mony than by committing to me the fir&s;t education of his only Son; who indeed was &s;natcht away from us in the flower of his age, when both his Fathers hou&s;e, and the Common-wealth had mo&s;t need of him: Truly he was a Prince adorned with many
<PB N="112" REF="63"> gifts, and di&s;po&s;ed to receive good things, and to Piety; I believe that God was mer|ciful to him; and that his goodne&s;s is not wholly with|drawn from this noble hou&s;e, to which he hath rai&s;ed up a Son that may &s;upply his Fathers place; The Almighty God ble&s;s and Pre&s;erve that Branch, and Ble&s;s his Education; and make him to grow in Age, and in Gifts and Graces, that he may be an In&s;tru|ment of promoting his Glory, and an in&s;tance of his Grace and Favour. I be&s;eech him al&s;o to ble&s;s the <HI>Prince&s;&s;es,</HI> his Mother and Grandmother, that their Concord may turn to the Good of the Child and of the State: The Lord guide them in all things with the Spirit of his Fear, &s;treng|then them in the Faith, and
<PB N="113" REF="63"> incourage them unto every good work: I hope they will keep in mind my &s;er|vice and Zealous Affection for the good of their noble Family; But if not, my tru&s;t is in God.</P></Q>
<P>&sect;. 26. After half an hours &s;ilence or thereabouts, he thus continued his di&s;cour&s;e:</P>
<P><Q>Hear the prayers which thy Servant offers unto thee (O God) for that Child, let him be ble&s;&s;ed and &s;anctified from his tender years, that the corruption of the Age. may not pervert him; Let him live before thee: Let Inte|grity and Righteou&s;ne&s;s pre|&s;erve him.</Q></P>
<P>He al&s;o prayed for the La|dy <HI>Electre&s;s of Brandenburg</HI> and her Si&s;ters, That God would adorn them with all Chri&s;ti|an
<PB N="114" REF="64"> and moral Virtues; and b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> with them to the end of thei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Lives.</P>
<P>But now his oppre&s;&s;ion was &s;o much increa&s;ed, that we could not take the texture of his Meditations; only by his countenance and ge&s;ture we might &s;ee that he prayed con|tinually; and &s;ometimes he ut|tered &s;ome words, whereby we under&s;tood that others had preceded in his Meditation; a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> for in&s;tance,</P>
<P><Q>Yea Lord: I believe: thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> is my joy: God will per|fect his work above all: <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> have no more part in tho&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> things that are done unde<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Sun, but I de&s;ire th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Peace of the Church every where.</Q></P>
<P>Then he repeated in French Metre the 18. ver&s;e of <HI>P&s;al</HI> 51. which is in Engli&s;h Me|tre,</P>
<Q><LG>
<PB N="115" REF="64">
<L>"Lord unto <HI>Zion</HI> turn thy Face;</L>
<L>"Pour out thy mercies on thy Hill:</L>
<L>"And on <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> thy Grace:</L>
<L>"Build up the Walls and love it &s;till.</L>
</LG></Q>
<P><Q>I am of that <HI>Zion:</HI> have pity on me, and deal graci|ou&s;ly with me. I am &s;uffo|cated, I can hardly breath: The Lord brings me down: but he calls my Spirit to him&s;elf: The greate&s;t thing by farr is, I have no doubt of my Salvation; the Lord upholds me miraculou&s;ly, to the end that I may edifie others by my example in this la&s;t clo&s;e of my life: I am well plea&s;ed, O my God. Far be it from me that I &s;hould murmure. How &s;mall are the&s;e pains in compari&s;on of
<PB N="116" REF="65"> that Grace through which I bear with a quiet mind what|&s;oever it plea&s;eth God to lay upon me; Thou allaye&s;t the&s;e &s;hort bitterne&s;&s;es, with inex|pre&s;&s;ible con&s;olations; Thou &s;peake&s;t unto my Soul with that &s;weet voice which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> under&s;tand, becau&s;e I am of thy Sheep; My &s;heep, &s;aith the chief Shepherd, hear my voice, I know them and they follow me: </Q>To this purpo&s;e he began to recite the 23&punc; P&s;alm in Hebrew; <HI>The Lor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> is my Shepherd, I &s;hall not want;</HI> and de&s;ired one that &s;tood by to rehear&s;e the re&s;t of the P&s;alm&punc; And the la&s;t clau&s;e he pro|nounced him&s;elf from the Ori|ginal; viz: <HI>I &s;hall dwell in the hou&s;e of the Lord for ever.</HI> And when he &s;aw many at|tending him; he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>You have no cau&s;e to won|der;
<PB N="117" REF="65"> I am able to do no|thing of my &s;elf: The Lord worketh all in all, that we may be humbled: This is the School of humility; Look upon me, and remember the Grace of God in me; Con|&s;ider how he brings me down by his mighty hand, that he may exalt and Glorifie me in due time: The &s;uffe|rings of this pre&s;ent time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that &s;hall be revealed in us: This is my joy to glorifie God in my death; &s;weet Death! that is a pa&s;&s;age unto life eternal. O God &s;trengthen the Soul of thy Servant, that he may a|bide con&s;tant and invincible unto death: I hope the Combat will not continue long; Bring to pa&s;s, O Lord, that the End may Crown the Work.</Q></P>
<PB N="118" REF="66">
<P> &sect;. 27. Among&s;t the many Phy&s;itians that had attended on him, there was one Dr. <HI>Cru|cius</HI> a Roman Catholick, who came this Morning to vi&s;it him, and asked him, if he &s;till continued to be of good cou|rage.</P>
<P><Q>Yea verily (&s;aid he) for I am in God, and God is in me: The Cro&s;s which God hath &s;ent is &s;mall; Every one mu&s;t bear his Cro&s;s, that he may follow Chri&s;t, who hath &s;uffered &s;o great things for me, though he de&s;erved no &s;uch &s;uffering: This Cro&s;s increa&s;eth my hope: The Lord is Gracious, who en|treth not into Judgment with his poor Servant: Chri&s;t hath dyed for my Sins, and is ri|&s;en again for my Ju&s;tifica|tion.</Q></P>
<PB N="119" REF="66">
<P> A while after Mr. <HI>Wickelmans</HI> a Dutch Mini&s;ter came, and &s;pake to him in the Latine tongue, to whom he an&s;wered in the &s;ame Language,</P>
<P><Q>God Strengthens me, and he will pre&s;erve me from all evil: I give thanks unto my God for that un&s;peakable good|ne&s;s which he hath poured upon me: he &s;uccours me in this work; he hath been alwaies pre&s;ent with me, even to this Extremity.</Q></P>
<P>Then the Mini&s;ter repeated to him the words of the Apo|&s;tle, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 7, 8. <HI>I have fought a good fight, I have fini&s;hed my cour&s;e, I have kept the Faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> At which words he cryed out,</P>
<P><Q>O welcome Crown! there is nothing el&s;e that I wait for: God dwells in me by his
<PB N="120" REF="67"> holy Spirit, which &s;hall never be taken away from me: Grant, O Lord, that I may keep thy Commands!</Q></P>
<P>Again, when beholding hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> pains, he exhorted him to pati|ence; he an&s;wered,</P>
<P><Q>We cannot, we ought no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to re&s;i&s;t the will of God: O Eternal Father of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, I give the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> thanks for thy exceeding grea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> benefits, That it hath plea&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> thee, that I &s;hould declare thy Prai&s;e even unto very Old Age; and that thou make&s;t me able to per&s;i&s;t therein unto the la&s;t breath of my life.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 28. At another hour when the &s;ame Mini&s;ter vi&s;ited him again, and &s;aid, <Q>You are &s;till fighting the Good fight; </Q>he an&s;wered,</P>
<PB N="121" REF="67">
<P><Q>In hope and patience, I am wholly Gods, and Je&s;us Chri&s;t's my Saviour: I believe that he will keep what I have commit|ted to him again&s;t that day: Even &s;o come, Lord Je&s;us!</Q></P>
<P>And when this Mini&s;ter had prayed with him, he returned him thanks in the&s;e words:</P>
<P><Q>I give you thanks for your holy Prayers; I doubt not but God will hear them: God ble&s;s you; I be&s;eech him to make you a very power|ful In&s;trument of his Glory.</Q></P>
<P>He al&s;o added,</P>
<P><Q>God hath fulfilled all his Promi&s;es in me; I have &s;een them afar off, I have believed them, I have embraced them; I wait for nothing more but to breathe forth my la&s;t breath; God po&s;&s;e&s;&s;eth me al|ready, I feel that: there is nothing wanting, but that he
<PB N="122" REF="68"> will give me the wings of an Eagle that I may fly to the Carka&s;s.</Q></P>
<P>Immediately he &s;ubjoyned a ver&s;e or two out of one of <HI>Beza</HI>'s French Poems, to this &s;ence:</P>
<Q><LG>
<L>"O Holy Word!</L>
<L>"With all my Heart</L>
<L>"To thee I flye.</L>
</LG></Q>
<P>&sect;. 29. Towards Evening the Pangs of death increa&s;ed upon him; The extreme Pains of his bowels, his &s;uddain fainting, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> and other grievous Symptoms, were the indications of ap|proaching death: But in this &s;tate, and utter decay of th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;trength of nature, his exerci&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Faith was &s;trengthened &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> much the more, and his pati|ence confirmed: <Q>Mourn no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> for me, (&s;aid he;) The&s;e la&s;t hours have nothing ter|rible in them; The body in|deed &s;uffers; but the Soul is
<PB N="123" REF="68"> Comforted and filled abun|dantly: The Lord is my Shep|herd, I &s;hall want nothing: His Rod and his Staff &s;hall lead me &s;afely through this &s;hort valley of the Shadow of death: This little cloud hinders me not from behold|ing that Heavenly Light, which already enlightens my Soul. O Lord thou give&s;t me light, thou warme&s;t me, thou lifte&s;t me on high, and I gladly follow thee, being carried aloft upon the wings of Faith: The &s;harper my pains are, the nearer I am to deliverance. My wound is grievous, but I was &s;ilent becau&s;e thou did&s;t it. Have mercy on me, O Lord! O my God, deliver me! I am impatient of delay: I know that God is faithful, and with the temptation he will give
<PB N="124" REF="69"> a way of e&s;cape, that I may be able to bear it.</Q></P>
<P>When he looked towards his Wife, &s;he thus addre&s;&s;ed her &s;elf to him:</P>
<P><Q>My dear! I ble&s;s God, and rejoyce for thee, that I have &s;een &s;o much of the Grace of God in thee. </Q>To which he replyed,</P>
<P><Q>Thou doe&s;t well (my dear Love;) The Lord confirm and &s;trengthen thy joy; Mine is &s;olid: I rejoyce that thou &s;ee&s;t the end of my Con|ver&s;ation: Thou ha&s;t known me, and thou knowe&s;t that I hate O&s;tentation; and that more hath been attributed to me by others, than I have be|lieved of my &s;elf: for I have been con&s;cious of mine own infirmities, and that what&s;o|ever good might be in me, was not of my &s;elf: The
<PB N="125" REF="69"> Glory is to be a&s;cribed to God alone; he hath done the work: Perfect, O Lord, and Crown thine own work! I complain not of my pains; I have not flattered my &s;elf in my di&s;ea&s;e; for when I was fir&s;t &s;eized by it, I was aware that God called for me: Is it not time, my deare&s;t love? Afflict not thy &s;elf: I go before; thou &s;halt follow e're long: Thou ha&s;t afforded me help, and ha&s;t kindly &s;uccour'd me; God will ble&s;s thee, and &s;ave thee, doubt it not: It hath been grateful to me, and I mo&s;t kindly accept it, that thou ha&s;t had &s;o great a Love for this little Boy (pointing to his Grand-&s;on,) make proof of thy love to me by loving him; it is a Child void of malice, and I have good hope of him, if
<PB N="126" REF="70"> he be well guided.</Q></P>
<P>Then calling the Child, he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>Give me thy hand, my Son! See thy Grandfather upon his death-bed: Thou ha&s;t al|ready lo&s;t thy Grandfather by Mothers &s;ide, who was a pious and upright man; Now thou lo&s;e&s;t thy Grandfather by Fathers &s;ide; but thou ha&s;t a Grandfather in Heaven on both &s;ides, that will never be wanting to thee; I hope my ble&s;&s;ing will redound up|on thee.</Q></P>
<P>Then taking him between his hands;</P>
<P><Q>My little Child (&s;aid he) Pray to God! If thou do this diligently, thou &s;halt be like a tall and beautiful Tree planted by the Rivers of wa|ters: Have thou fair bran|ches, and be fruitful; that
<PB N="127" REF="70"> is, Fear God: Then &s;halt thou bring forth Wi&s;dom, Prudence, and Under&s;tand|ing. Be thou Good and Be|neficent, &s;hunning evil com|pany, and God will ble&s;s thee, thou &s;halt not be for&s;aken: Behold thy Unkle, which &s;hall be to thee in&s;tead of a Fa|ther; Be obedient to him, and al&s;o to thy Grandmother, and Mother, whom I pray God abundantly to ble&s;s with her other Children; that her little Po&s;thumous Son that bears my Name may in time Repre&s;ent me, yea exceed me.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 30. The&s;e holy &s;peeches were &s;ometimes interrupted by a &s;hort &s;leep, and &s;ometimes on occa&s;ion of the Prayers or Exhortations of the Mini&s;ters that came to him; He received
<PB N="128" REF="71"> them all mo&s;t Cordially; and mo&s;t willingly heard the Con|&s;olations that were &s;ugge&s;ted by them; And he would al&s;o return Con&s;olations to them: He heard their prayers with attention, and when they had done, was wont alwayes to &s;ay, That he found him&s;elf much relieved. And then di&s;|mi&s;&s;ed them with thanks, gi|ving his ble&s;&s;ing to each of them as was proper to their Condition. Towards Supper time, he remembred the noble Virgin <HI>Anna Maria a Schurman,</HI> and &s;aid,</P>
<Q><P>She is a per&s;on to whom I have alwaies devoted my Affection and &s;incere Love: &s;he hath honoured me with her holy friend&s;hip, and hath called me Father; In te&s;ti|mony of my paternal Love, I give her my little Bible
<PB N="129" REF="71"> without Points, of <HI>Plantines</HI> Edition, which you &s;hall find in &s;uch a Place in my Study (directing to the place;) If I had any &s;trength left, I would have written a Letter to her with my own hand, whereby I would have te&s;ti|fied to her how much I Ho|nour her, and e&s;teem tho&s;e admirable gifts of God where|with he hath adorned her. But you (my Son) &s;hall &s;upply this defect, and inform her of my happy Departure; and that I have prayed to God that he will Strengthen her in her &s;upernatural Cal|ling, and be&s;tow upon her the ble&s;&s;ings of a long and pro&s;perous Life.</P>
<P>What remains? Have I not &s;aid all? I have no more to do, but to give up my Soul into the hands of God: Is it
<PB N="130" REF="72"> not time? O my God, let it &s;uffice! Receive my Soul un|to thy &s;elf, O Lord! I yield it into thy hands; thou ha&s;t Redeemed it, O God of Truth: Thou art my hope, and my Confidence from my youth: No care afflicts me; God hath removed from me the Opprobry which I feared; (meaning the Vomiting of his excrements, a &s;ymptome u&s;ual in his Di&s;temper;) He will perfect (and that quickly) what&s;oever belongs to his Glo|ry, and my Eternal Salvati|on: If he make any &s;tay, if he deferre my deliverance, he doth it for your Edificati|on and Salvation; Let not my Sorrows be grievous to you, but rather ble&s;s God who gives me a de&s;irable plume, and makes my heart joyful in the mid&s;t of my pains:
<PB N="131" REF="72"> Rejoyce therefore; and Pray with me.</P></Q>
<P>&sect;. 31. When he had asked what a Clock it was, he &s;aid to his Wife and his Son,</P>
<P><Q>I pray you take &s;ome food; I am not yet fully come to the end of my Work, I want nothing, and my Niece &s;hall tarry with me, and take &s;ome|thing here to refre&s;h her.</Q></P>
<P>They withdrew therefore in|to the next Room, and one brought an Egg to his Niece, which he de&s;ired her to take.</P>
<P><Q>As for me (&s;aid he) my Meat is to do the will of God, and happily to run out the cour&s;e of my life: I am refre&s;hed with holy and hea|venly food: My Father feeds me with that Food which he lately offered to me at his holy Table; I did eat,
<PB N="132" REF="73"> and was filled: The true feed|ing is the feeding of the Soul, that which &s;u&s;tains the true Life: As for Corporal meats they are for the belly, but God will de&s;troy both it and them.</Q></P>
<P>Then reaching out his hand to his Niece, <Q>I Love thee (&s;aid he) with a Love whol|ly Spiritual, a love of true Cha|rity and Affection: We will pa&s;s this Night together in holy Meditations, and &s;peak|ing to one another in P&s;alms and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, Singing and making melody in our Hearts unto the Lord: I feel my Swel|ling to a&s;cend: I fear that in a little time I &s;hall be able to &s;peak no more: do not depart from me; but continue &s;peaking to me what|&s;oever God &s;hall bring to thy Heart and Lips, le&s;t in my
<PB N="133" REF="73"> utmo&s;t weakne&s;s my Memo|ry &s;hould fail me; and I a&s;&s;ure thee, God will &s;ugge&s;t tho&s;e things to thee which which &s;hall be for my help and Comfort in the time of need: for out of the abun|dance of the Heart, the mouth &s;peaketh,</Q></P>
<P>His Wife and Son being re|turned into the Chamber;</P>
<P><Q>Pray ye (&s;aid he) for me; what a joy is i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to &s;ee the&s;e holy Souls with me!</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 32. Oft times through the bitterne&s;s of his pains he brake forth into Cryes, or rather ar|dent Prayers unto God; and that frequently, in the words of the P&s;alms in the French Metre: as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 141. 1.</P>
<Q><LG>
<L>"Jehovah, upon thee I call,</L>
<L>"O ha&s;ten unto me!</L>
<PB N="134" REF="74">
<L>"Lend to my Voice thy Gra|cious Ear,</L>
<L>"When I cry unto thee,</L>
</LG></Q>
<P>Then adding from <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 25. 18. <Q>Look upon mine Afflicti|on, and pardon all my &s;ins.</Q></P>
<P>And upon the mention of any Text that &s;peaks of the Remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, he would immediately &s;ubjoyn,</P>
<P><Q>It is done; He hath cau|&s;ed mine iniquity to pa&s;s a|way from me: O Lord, abate and &s;horten my Mi&s;eries; Now is thy time.</Q></P>
<P>And then repeated from <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 118. 24.</P>
<LG>
<L>"This is a joyful day indeed,</L>
<L>"Which God him&s;elf hath wrought:</L>
<L>"We will be glad and joy therein,</L>
<L>"With all our Heart and Thought.</L>
</LG>
<PB N="135" REF="74">
<P><Q>How great is my angui&s;h! but how much greater is my refre&s;hment!</Q></P>
<Q><LG>
<L>"An high place and a Refuge &s;ure</L>
<L>"I find the Lord to me;</L>
<L>"In day of my di&s;tre&s;s he me</L>
<L>"Relieves, with rich bounty.</L>
</LG></Q>
<P>They continually &s;ugge&s;ted to him places of Scripture; un|to which he would return &s;uch an&s;wers as did abundantly ma|nife&s;t his Godly Ardor, Faith, and Patience; as for in&s;tance, when it was &s;aid to him, <Q> God is nigh to all that call up|on him in Truth; </Q> Smiting upon his brea&s;t, he replyed,</P>
<P><Q>Here he is; here he dwells in me, and worketh power|fully according to his good plea&s;ure.</Q></P>
<PB N="136" REF="75">
<P> Then that place was al|ledged, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. <Q>Death is &s;wallowed up in victory: </Q>and he added the following words,</P>
<P><Q>Thanks be to God, who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</Q></P>
<P>Again from <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 30. </P>
<Q><P> Moreover, whom he did pre|di&s;tinate, them he al&s;o cal|led; and whom he called, them he al&s;o ju&s;tified; and whom he ju&s;tified, them he al&s;o Glorified:</P>
<P>Even &s;o it is! (&s;aid he) Grace upon Grace! O lovely Chain! This is a Golden Chain indeed! there wants but the la&s;t link to compleat the whole in me. O Lord make perfect, and Crown thy work; That I may dye the death of the righteous, and &s;ee tho&s;e good things, which eye hath
<PB N="137" REF="75"> not &s;een, neither have they entred into the mind of man; Thou give&s;t me a foreta&s;t of the&s;e &s;weetne&s;&s;es and refre&s;h|ings, which no words can expre&s;s.</P></Q>
<P>&sect;. 33. Then Mr. <HI>Hul&s;ius</HI> being pre&s;ent, asked if it would be ac|ceptable to him that he &s;hould go to Prayer?</P>
<P><Q>Yea (&s;aid he) Pray; The time requires it.</Q></P>
<P>When he had ended his Pray|er, he gave him thanks; &s;aying,</P>
<P><Q>You have helped me; while you called upon God, I found &s;ome ea&s;e of my infirmity: Encourage me! the Race is &s;hort: I even touch the bound of my Race; I go on: I ga|ther new Strength: I touch the Prize, I take hold of Eternal Life. This body faint|eth: this Tabernacle is de|&s;troyed;
<PB N="138" REF="76"> But there is re&s;erved for me an hou&s;e in the Hea|vens, not made with hands: There is re&s;erved for me in the Heavens an incorruptible Inheritance, that can neither be defiled, nor fade away.</Q></P>
<P>About Midnight his pains increa&s;ed exceedingly, which cau&s;ed him to break forth in|to bitter cries, calling upon God for his help.</P>
<P><Q>Come, Lord Je&s;us! Come! I can bear no more; yet is not my patience lo&s;t, but the de&s;ire of my Soul towards thee, is like that of the dry and thir&s;ty Ground. As the Hart panteth for the brooks of water, &s;o pantetli my Soul for thee, O God! O when &s;hall I come and appear be|fore God! My Strength fails me more and more, but my Soul is &s;trong and joyful.</Q></P>
<PB N="139" REF="76">
<P> Pre&s;ently upon this he fell into a great fainting (which Phy&s;itians call <HI>Lipothymia)</HI> on which occa&s;ion Mr. <HI>Martin Ly|dius</HI> a Dutch Mini&s;ter was in|&s;tantly called in. He was one that Dr. <HI>Rivet</HI> had a great af|fection for, and he was daily with him during his &s;ickne&s;s; And therefore what pa&s;&s;ed be|tween them two, we will &s;et down in <HI>Lydius</HI> his own words, which are as follow.</P>
<P>&sect;. 34. This Reverend Father in Chri&s;t required that I &s;hould be often called to him in the time of his &s;ickne&s;s, having formerly been his Scholar at <HI>Leyden.</HI> When I came fir&s;t to him, he exhorted me with &s;weet words to proceed as I had begun: &s;aying, that it great|ly rejoyced him to under&s;tand the Affection which the Church
<PB N="140" REF="77"> at <HI>Breda</HI> had for me; Where|fore, I pray thee (&s;aid he) Give me thy hand; Go on to adorn the &s;ervice thou ha&s;t un|dertaken. Then he uttered an excellent Confe&s;&s;ion of his Faith with a &s;trong Voice: in which he &s;hewed on what &s;tayes the Prote&s;tant Religion, which he had hitherto propagated both by Preaching and Writing; leaned, for the obtaining of that Con&s;olation both in life and death, which the mi&s;era|ble Papi&s;ts cannot have.</P>
<P>And when I recited &s;ome &s;elect places of Scripture to him out of the Old or New Te&s;ta|ment, he would rehear&s;e them again either in Hebrew or Greek. I &s;aid, that I doubted not but with <HI>Stephen</HI> the Pro|tomartyr he did already &s;ee Heaven opened, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> To which he replyed with a chearful
<PB N="141" REF="77"> Countenance and Voice, <Q> O I have &s;een that a good while.</Q></P>
<P>I excu&s;ed my &s;elf, that I could not pray to God with him, becau&s;e I was a &s;tranger to the French Tongue, and the by-&s;tanders under&s;tood not the Latine Tongue; but he &s;aid, Pray in that Tongue which both thee and I under&s;tand; which when I had done, and prayers were ended, he gave me thanks: &s;aying,</P>
<P><Q>The Spirit of God hath &s;poken by thy mouth, and thou ha&s;t exceedingly &s;treng|thened me: I de&s;ire thou wilt alwayes remember me in publick prayers in the Church. </Q>The next day be|ing exceedingly ill, he com|manded that none &s;hould be admitted to him; But when Mrs. <HI>Moline</HI> heard my Voice, &s;he brought me to the bed|&s;ide,
<PB N="142" REF="78"> and he received me with a chearful Countenance; I am glad (&s;aid he) that thou art come. I told him, the pre&s;ent time required that he &s;hould ca&s;t all his cares upon God, and be no more &s;olicitous a|bout any thing: He an&s;wered,<Q> Yea truly: There is nothing that I am any more Solici|tous about; I only de&s;ire the coming of my Saviour, yea his &s;peedy coming, that I may be loo&s;ed from this bo|dy of Sin, and be with Chri&s;t who is gain unto me both in life and death; I embrace Chri&s;t by Faith; I am eve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> pre&s;&s;ed down, but I am i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the hand of my Shepherd: I embrace my Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and do now wholly pant after my God.</Q></P>
<P>When he had &s;poken the&s;e, and other things of like na|ture,
<PB N="143" REF="78"> I bid him Farewel: but he again de&s;ired me to pray with him: which being done, with a &s;igh he &s;aid, <Q>O how &s;weet is this!</Q></P>
<P>When the fatal day was come, about two a Clock in the Morning, he would have me called, and when I drew near to his bed, he took hold of my hand, to whom I &s;aid, <Q>Yet a little while, and he that &s;hall come will come.</Q> He an&s;wered; <Q>And why doth he not come? </Q>And immedi|ately added, <Q>Yea, he is come already.</Q></P>
<P>This I Te&s;tifie, <HI>Martinus Lydius</HI> Preacher at <HI>Breda.</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 35. About three of the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Saturday <HI>Jan.</HI> 7.</NOTE> Clock in the Morning his Wife came near to him, and
<PB N="144" REF="79"> beholding in his Countenance the Image of death, &s;he chear|fully &s;aid: </P>
<Q><P>Farewel my dear&punc; Go rejoycing into eternal life.</P>
<P>Thou &s;aye&s;t true (&s;aid he) I go unto my God and your God&punc; We are all Gainers: <HI>Amen! A|men!</HI> Farewel my Son! Fare|wel my dear Niece! Fear not, I have prayed for you; Ye &s;hal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> be happy. Per&s;evere to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> end, that none get away your Crown: I go before you, and ye &s;hall follow me; you have no cau&s;e to doubt of it: We &s;hall be caught up together to meet the Lord i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Air, and &s;o we &s;hall fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ever be with the Lord: I have no more to &s;ay or do, I am ready, I am prepared; Come Lord Je&s;us, Come! re|ceive thy Creature; I a&s;pire I hope, I knock at the Gate;
<PB N="145" REF="79"> Open O Lord! Open unto thy poor Servant.</P></Q>
<P>His Oppre&s;&s;ion was mani|fe&s;tly di&s;cerned to increa&s;e up|on him, and al&s;o a mortal <HI>So|por</HI> or drow&s;ine&s;s, and Rotling came upon him: The Cham|ber was filled with company; but mo&s;t were of the mind it was not meet to weary him any longer with di&s;cour&s;e; &s;ee|ing nothing could be added to that abundant Te&s;timony of his Faith which they had alrea|dy: Therefore about five in the Morning they all departed, except Mr. <HI>Lydius,</HI> who &s;ilently waited the la&s;t &s;ea&s;on of pray|ing to God for him when he &s;hould be drawing his la&s;t breath. But when it was pa&s;t eight of the Clock, and he di&s;|cerned but little change, and found his Pul&s;e much the &s;ame, he thought he might abide in that
<PB N="146" REF="80"> Agony untill Evening; therefore he departed, promi&s;ing to re|turn as &s;oon as they &s;hould &s;end for him. Only tho&s;e of his own hou&s;e remained with him, who feared to mole&s;t him by &s;peaking, and were al&s;o un|certain whether he could &s;peak, or not, becau&s;e of his extream oppre&s;&s;ion, and his lying with his Mouth open. Friends at length prevailed with his Wife to withdraw from the &s;ight of his la&s;t Agony; and only his Son and Niece &s;tood by the Bed, expecting his la&s;t breath; yet neither did they think that had been &s;o near, as it was. About half an hour after Eight the Colour of his Face was wholly changed, and Convul|&s;ive motions came on: Then his Niece asked him, if he yet had his under&s;tanding. <Q><HI>Alas</HI></Q> (&s;aid he) <HI>&s;peak:</HI> (as complain|ing
<PB N="147" REF="80"> of their &s;ilence:) Then &s;aid &s;he, I pray you do you &s;till feel the &s;ence of inward Joy? To which he replyed intelligibly enough, <Q>Yea: My Confidence is firm in me. </Q> Then making a &s;ign, That he would be rai|&s;ed a little; His Son and his Niece on each &s;ide enfolding their arms about him, lifted him higher: Then fixing his eyes a while upon them, he &s;aid, <Q>Help me; I am going.</Q> Accordingly, the Lord bring|ing to their mind many choice Scriptures apt for the occa|&s;ion, they by turns propo&s;ed them to him; And he received them with great joy; adding <HI>So it is:</HI> and <HI>Amen.</HI> Often al|&s;o he would pronounce him|&s;elf the la&s;t words of that Por|tion of Scripture which they were rehear&s;ing to him; as in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 36. <Q>How excellent is
<PB N="148" REF="81"> thy loving kindne&s;s O God! Therefore do the Sons of men put their tru&s;t under the &s;hadow of thy wings: Thou wilt abundantly &s;atis|fie them with the fatne&s;s of thy Hou&s;e, and make them to drink of the Rivers of thy Plea&s;ures; </Q>which la&s;t &s;en|tence he rehear&s;ed him&s;elf in the French Metre. And the &s;ame he did from <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 65. 4. <Q>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man whom thou choo&s;e&s;t, and cau&s;e&s;t to ap|proach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts: We &s;hall be abundantly Sa|tisfied with the goodne&s;s of thy Hou&s;e, even of thy holy Temple.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 36. Then his Son &s;aid, <Q>I am &s;orry that we are alone.</Q></P>
<P><Q>I am not alone (&s;aid he) God is with me.</Q> Be you then
<PB N="149" REF="81"> an Evangeli&s;t to your &s;elf, (&s;aid his Son) fora&s;much as you have received the Mini&s;try of Recon|ciliation, deliver the tidings of peace to your own Soul.</P>
<P><Q>That I do (&s;aith he) my Soul believes. Then fear no|thing;He that believes in Je|&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hall never peri&s;h: </Q> He added, <Q>But &s;hall have Eternal Life. </Q> While prayers were making for him in this la&s;t Combat with the pains of Death, at the end of almo&s;t every &s;entence he would inter|po&s;e &s;ome word or words, ex|pre&s;&s;ing the &s;ence of his mind with re&s;pect to tho&s;e petitions. As thus,</P>
<P><Q>O great God, &s;end thy Spi|rit of Con&s;olation; <HI>[he is alrea|dy come:]</HI> and give unto thy Servant the &s;en&s;e of thy love, <HI>[that he hath done;]</HI> Give
<PB N="150" REF="82"> unto him the Garment of Salvation, <HI>[he hath given it;]</HI> All is well, enter therefore thou good Servant into the Joy of thy Lord, he calleth thee. [At which words he rai&s;ed up him&s;elf and &s;tretched forth his Arms:] Al&s;o O Lord &s;trengthen more and more the Faith of thy Servant in this la&s;t agony, let him &s;ee, let him hear thy voice, let him rai&s;e up him&s;elf, and take hold on Eternal Life, <HI>[Yea! I am of good Comfort.]</HI> Let us go to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy, <HI>[It is done:]</HI> Leave therefore with a joyful mind this body to the Earth, and yield up thy Spirit into the hands of God, <HI>[who hath gi|ven it:]</HI> Take hold of the Shield of Faith; yea put on the whole Armor of God: <HI>[I have it.]</HI></Q></P>
<PB N="151" REF="82">
<P> Then he began him&s;elf to re|cite tho&s;e words, <HI>I have fought a good fight,</HI> &amp;c. And when one had repeated what follows, and came to tho&s;e words, <HI>which God the righteous Judge will give;</HI> he added, <HI>He will do it.</HI> And when one &s;aid; <Q>Be|hold the la&s;t moment of de|liverance! O God give Wings unto thy Servant; open thy Paradi&s;e unto him; Let him be received unto the behold|ing of thy Face! He added, <HI>With the Spirits of ju&s;t men made perfect.</HI> Let him receive the white Stone, and the hidden Manna; and let him bear his part in that New Song which none under&s;tands but he that &s;ings it. To which he &s;aid, <HI>Amen!</HI></Q></P>
<P>In the&s;e la&s;t Moments there came in &s;ome of his Friends who were witne&s;&s;es of his hap|py
<PB N="152" REF="83"> Departure: But the Mini|&s;ters above named, <HI>viz: Ly|dius</HI> and <HI>Hul&s;ius,</HI> came too late to hear him &s;peak any thing. Howbeit a &s;hort Pray|er was made for him; after which when he had abode a while with his Eyes fixed, and his hands lift up towards Heaven; One of the &s;tanders by &s;aid; <Q>I am per&s;waded this man doth already enjoy the Vi&s;ion of God; </Q>where|upon he earne&s;tly endeavoured to utter the Word <HI>Yea!</HI> And almo&s;t in the &s;ame moment &s;weetly breathed forth his Soul, about half an hour after Nine of the Clock on Saturday morn|ing, being <HI>Jan.</HI> 7. After he had lived &s;eventy eight years, &s;ix Months, and five dayes.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="appendix">
<PB N="153" REF="83">
<HEAD>AN APPENDIX: WHEREIN <HI>A</HI> CHRISTIAN<HI>'s Triumph over Death is Illu&s;trated by &s;ome more memorable Examples.</HI></HEAD>
<P>&sect; 1. THE Jewi&s;h Ma&s;ters have a &s;aying re|corded in their <HI>Talm. Hiero&s;ol.</HI> which <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Buxt. <HI>Adag. He|braic.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Buxtorf</HI> thus tran&s;lates: <HI>Non facienda &s;unt Monumenta ju&s;tis</HI> (&s;c. <HI>de|functis): Verba ip&s;orum &s;unt monumenta ip&s;orum.</HI> That is, <HI>Monuments are not to be erected</HI>
<PB N="154" REF="84"> <HI>to the Righteous, when decea&s;ed; Their Words are their Monu|ments:</HI> They need not the help of Art to perpetuate, or to em|balm their Names, who have lived and dyed eminent Exam|ples of Piety and Holine&s;s; For they &s;hall be <HI>had in everla&s;ting remembrance: The Memory of the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 112. 6.</NOTE> <HI>ju&s;t is ble&s;&s;ed: but the Name of the wicked &s;hall rot,</HI> Prov. 10. 7.</P>
<P>As for that worthy and ho|ly per&s;on who&s;e triumphant pa&s;&s;age&punc; thro' Death into the Joy of his Lord, we have al|ready had a Relation of; It may be que&s;tioned, whether his mo&s;t fruitful and learned works while he lived, or his gracious &s;peeches and demean|our when he dyed, have contri|buted mo&s;t to the Eternizing of his Name; But it is beyond all Que&s;tion, that both the one and the other have rai&s;ed unto him
<PB N="155" REF="84"> a Monument <HI>Aere perennius;</HI> and as in both he hath been an eminent In&s;trument of Glo|rifying God in the World, and &s;trengthening the Faith of his Brethren; &s;o his Name will be remembred with Honour, and Thank&s;giving to God on the account of both, from Gene|ration to Generation. We have beheld in him what <HI>Bernard</HI> tells us he &s;aw in dying <HI>Gerar|dus;</HI> viz. <HI>Hominem in morte ex|ultantem, &amp; in&s;ultantem morti.</HI> i. e. <HI>A man greatly rejoycing in death, and in&s;ulting over death;</HI> which teacheth us that the Apo&s;tles holy Triumph, <HI>O death</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 55.</NOTE> <HI>where is thy Sting! O Grave where is thy Victory!</HI> is no vain flouri&s;h of words, or empty Speculation; but a Truth &s;eal|ed to, in the Experience of a Chri&s;tian, who with a Joy un|&s;peakable and full of Glory,
<PB N="156" REF="85"> can joyn with him in the Ago|nyes of Death, in his following Song of Prai&s;e; <HI>Thanks be to God, which giveth us the Victory, thro' our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ver.</HI> 57.</NOTE></P>
<P>In &s;uch in&s;tances as the&s;e, we have a very valuable Evi|dence of the Truth and Excel|lency of the Chri&s;tian Religi|on, and the Certainty of a fu|ture State, and ble&s;&s;ed Immor|tality: Tho&s;e things mu&s;t needs be real in them&s;elves, who&s;e Efficacy is &s;o great upon the Soul of a man in &s;uch an hour; Death is no Fancy; neither can Fables, with what Art or Cunning &s;oever they are devi|&s;ed, relieve a man again&s;t the bitter pangs of it: The proud boa&s;ts of the Athei&s;t and De|bauchee are &s;oon quelled by this King of Terrors; the very thought of who&s;e approach &s;ur|prizes them with Con&s;terna|tion
<PB N="157" REF="85"> and guilty fears; But the lively hope of Pardon in the Blood of Chri&s;t, the Smiles of a reconciled God, and foreta&s;tes of heavenly Joy, make the true and &s;incere Chri&s;tian more than a Conqueror in this Conflict: He can fear no evil becau&s;e God is with him, who&s;e pre|&s;ence makes his Sick-bed ea&s;ie, and gives him Pro&s;pect of the greate&s;t Gain in the lo&s;s of this Temporal Life. He can &s;ay as the holy 'Apo&s;tle, <HI>To me to live is Chri&s;t, to dye is Gain, Phil.</HI> 1. 21.</P>
<P>The holy Life of the Righte|ous is abundantly recommend|ed to our imitation by their ble&s;&s;ed Death; The advantage of who&s;e End made <HI>Balaam</HI> &s;ay, <HI>Let me dye the Death of the Righteous and let my la&s;t End be like his!</HI> And certainly it is no &s;mall. Honour that God hath
<PB N="158" REF="86"> put upon the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Prote&s;tant Religion, by afford|ing to many of the mo&s;t Zea|lous A&s;&s;ertors thereof, &s;uch an <HI>abundant entrance into the ever|la&s;ting</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 11.</NOTE> <HI>Kingdom of their Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> ac|cording to who&s;e pure Word they have reformed them&s;elves, and in who&s;e Merits alone they have Tru&s;ted. Not only the con&s;tant and triumphant death of thou&s;ands, who by the cur&s;ed Tyranny and Cruelty of Papi&s;ts have been brought to Seal their Profe&s;&s;ion with their Blood; but al&s;o the placid and mo&s;t Chri&s;tian End of others that have dyed in their Beds, hath left great Convictions upon the Minds of Beholders (tho' be|fore Enemies to their Religion) that there hath indeed been <GAP DESC="foreign">, an heavenly Excellency in it which they knew not of.
<PB N="159" REF="86"> This cau&s;ed a Phy&s;itian of the Popi&s;h Religion, that attended upon Dr. <HI>Ames</HI> in his la&s;t &s;ick|ne&s;s at <HI>Rotterdam,</HI> when he ob|&s;erved what an extraordinary &s;pirit of Faith and Holine&s;s breathed in him to the la&s;t, to expre&s;s him&s;elf after this man|ner: <HI>Siccine moriuntur Refor|mati!</HI> i. e. <HI>Do Prote&s;tants dye at this Rate!</HI> And well indeed may they be &s;urprized with wonder at &s;uch Examples, be|cau&s;e the Principles of that Religion which they profe&s;s af|ford no &s;uch Con&s;olations, or any firm ground for them, to tho&s;e that live and dye therein. When they come to dye, they find their Debaucheries to be more than Venial Sins, and the Guilt of them &s;uch as will not be expiated by any of tho&s;e Means which they have tru&s;t|ed to while living under the
<PB N="160" REF="87"> &s;trength of Papal delu&s;ions; and the mo&s;t refined and Super&s;ti|tious Devoto's in that Religion are in no better ca&s;e, when by Death &s;ummoned before the dreadful Tribunal of Divine Ju&s;tice, at who&s;e Barre their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s (tho' patcht up with a thou&s;and humane In|ventions) will &s;tand them in no &s;tead: To &s;ay nothing of tho&s;e Idolatries which they are taught to practi&s;e as the mo&s;t effectu|al means of meriting Heaven, and which accordingly they principally place their Confi|dence in: But O how &s;adly di&s;appointed will they be, when Death arre&s;ts them, who have no better Antidote again&s;t its fatal Sting, than Popery can furni&s;h them with! They mu&s;t, if their Con&s;ciences be awa|kened, leave the World with trembling Horror, and breathe
<PB N="161" REF="87"> out their la&s;t with a &s;ad com|plaint of the wretched Cheat of that pretended Religion, which fails them in their great|e&s;t Extremity. Well may they then take up the dying words of * <HI>Joannes Semeca,</HI> who about <NOTE PLACE="marg">An Emi|nent Civi|lian in <HI>Ger|many.</HI></NOTE> the Year 1267. is reported to have left the World with this doleful Reflection. <Q>In our Life-time we had tho&s;e who would frequent the Quire for us, who would till our Lands; <NOTE PLACE="marg">Melch. Adam.</NOTE> who would &s;ay Ma&s;s, and pray the Canonical Hours for us: But where now &s;hall we find any one that will de&s;cend into Hell for us, and deli|ver us?</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 2. But it is time to return from this digre&s;&s;ion, and to pro|&s;ecute our purpo&s;e, which is to pre&s;ent the Reader with &s;ome more eminent In&s;tances of the
<PB N="162" REF="88"> Grace and Mercy of God to|wards, and the Efficacy of a lively Faith in, others of his Servants in their <HI>la&s;t Hours;</HI> who have been zealous Pro|fe&s;&s;ors and Propagators of the True Religion and Faith of Chri&s;t while they lived, and have left this World with an holy Triumph in the full A&s;&s;u|rance of Eternal Ble&s;&s;ings, when they dyed. My de&s;ign is, only to &s;ingle out a few In&s;tances, from many that might be with equal advantage pitcht upon, were it not for &s;welling this little Tract beyond its due bounds.</P>
<P>And the fir&s;t I &s;hall mention <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mr. <HI>Rol|lock.</HI></NOTE> is, that memorable Example of a Chri&s;tian and happy End, which &s;ome account of the la&s;t Hours of Mr. <HI>Rollock</HI> may fur|ni&s;h us with, who departed this Life at <HI>Edinburgh, Feb.</HI> 8.
<PB N="163" REF="88"> <HI>Anno</HI> 1598. being the Forty third year of his Age.</P>
<P>&sect;. 3. He was while living an eminent and very u&s;eful In&s;tru|ment in the Reformation of the Church of <HI>Scotland,</HI> which he &s;ought to promote by Evange|lical Means, in the exerci&s;e of all Diligence in the Mini&s;try of the Word, by his Learned and pious Writings, and mo&s;t of all by a &s;ingular Example of Holine&s;s and practical Religi|on in his Life and Conver&s;a|tion; which rendred him a burning and a &s;hining Light in his day. Be&s;ides his extraordi|nary Labours on &s;pecial Occa|&s;ions, he had for &s;ome years before his death the principal Charge and Pre&s;idency over the then newly erected Academy of <HI>Edinburgh</HI> committed to him, which he admini&s;tred to the
<PB N="164" REF="89"> great advantage of tho&s;e under his care, and indeed of the whole Church; and in the faithful di&s;charge of his duty in that great Tru&s;t, his Lord found him when he came to call him from this evil world into his Heavenly Kingdom and Glory; and how great his Affecti|on was towards the &s;ervice of his Lord, and what his care for the peace of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and the flour&s;hing of true Religion, when him&s;elf was leaving this World, will be abundantly ma|nife&s;t in many pa&s;&s;ages during his la&s;t Sickne&s;s, which &s;hall be recited in their proper place and order.</P>
<P>When he found his di&s;tem|per prevail, according to his wonted Prudence he &s;et in or|der what might concern his Fa|mily when he was gone, and prepared him&s;elf for a ready
<PB N="165" REF="89"> and chearful &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the Will of God. And when two of his &s;pecial Friends came to vi&s;it him (that were Per&s;ons of &s;ome note and Eminency) he be&s;ought them that they would go to the King (who was then Young) and ex|hort him, as from him, to abide con&s;tant and unmoveable in the Profe&s;&s;ion of the True Religion to the end, and by no means &s;uffer him&s;elf either by the hopes of enlarging his Kingdom, or the &s;ecret arts of Wicked men to be moved therefrom. The e&s;teem and re|verence he had for the Mini|&s;ters of Chri&s;t, he expre&s;t after this manner,</P>
<P><Q>This Mini&s;try of Chri&s;t, though mean and abject in the account of men, &s;hall at length &s;hine with illu&s;trious Glory.</Q></P>
<PB N="166" REF="90">
<P> &sect;. 4. Afterwards the Mini|&s;ters of <HI>Edenburgh</HI> came to him and when they were &s;et down he addre&s;t him&s;elf to them in a copious and very &s;olemn &s;peech, wherein he tells them; <Q>That being worn out with his &s;ick|ne&s;s, he breathed after and hoped for the clo&s;e and Period of this life: And (&s;aith he) I have not &s;o learned or taught Chri&s;t, but that in him I &s;hould feel comfort under the&s;e Sorrows. The thred of my life will &s;hortly be broken off, and I mu&s;t pa&s;s unto that countrey which I have long and earne&s;tly de|&s;ired after.</Q></P>
<P>Then he proceeds to a Pa|thetical recommendation of the Univer&s;ity to their care; and makes a mo&s;t &s;olemn Prote&s;ta|tion (as in the pre&s;ence of
<PB N="167" REF="90"> God, before who&s;e Tribunal he mu&s;t immediately appear) of his integrity and faithfulne&s;s in his Tru&s;t, both as a Pa&s;tor, and Rector of the Univer&s;ity; That he had never &s;uffered him&s;elf to be bya&s;&s;ed by any corrupt or &s;ini&s;ter end, nor had any burthen upon his Con&s;cience with re&s;pect thereto: He pro|fe&s;&s;ed the great care he had alwayes taken of the publick peace; but added,</P>
<P><Q>Yet neither did the love of Peace &s;o bewitch me, as that I &s;hould not di&s;tingui&s;h betwixt genuine and adulte|rate Peace; nor did my Affe|ction towards my Prince &s;e|duce me, &s;o as that to plea|&s;ure him I &s;hould bring the lea&s;t &s;pot upon my Con&s;ci|ence: But the Candor of my actions will &s;hine when I am dead.</Q></P>
<PB N="168" REF="91">
<P> He exhorted them to mutu|al peace and love; telling them&punc; <Q>There was nothing more un|&s;eemly than that the Preach|ers of Peace &s;hould be rent with &s;trife and di&s;cord amon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> them&s;elves; e&s;pecially at &s;uc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a time when the commo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Enemy (the Papi&s;t) lay i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> wait for their ruine.</Q></P>
<P>And after Exhortations to render all dutiful re&s;pect and Obedience to their Prince; he di&s;mi&s;t them with this Benedi|ction.</P>
<P><Q>The God and Father of Je|&s;us Chri&s;t enrich you with all ble&s;&s;ing, and &s;trengthen you with all might unto the vigorous di&s;charge of your Mini&s;try.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 5. When the Night came on, death &s;eemed to be ha&s;ten|ing, which he perceiving, entred
<PB N="169" REF="91"> into &s;uch di&s;cour&s;es of Hea|venly things as &s;eemed to the by-&s;tanders &s;o much above the rate of humane capacity to con|ceive and utter, that they were all filled with a joyful a&s;toni&s;h|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ent in hearing of them.</P>
<P>The Phy&s;itians came and en|deavoured (but in vain) by proper Medicines to a&s;&s;wage the force of his di&s;temper; whereupon turning his &s;peech to God, he &s;aid, <HI>Thou O God &s;halt heal me:</HI> And then pour|ed out his prayers with a mo&s;t ardent Zeal for the Remi&s;&s;ion of his &s;ins through the Merit of the one and only Sacrifice of Chri&s;t; profe&s;&s;ing that he e&s;teemed all things (though in appearance never &s;o great) to be but dung, for the excel|lency of Chri&s;t Je&s;us; earne&s;t|ly calling upon God that he would bring him to an happy
<PB N="170" REF="92"> and triumphant period of thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Life, and grant that being co|vered with the Wings of Mer|cy, he might &s;weetly &s;leep i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the bo&s;om of Je&s;us, and enjoy that &s;ight of Gods face which with frequent pantings he thir|&s;ted for.</P>
<P><Q>I have &s;een thee darkly (&s;aid he) in the gla&s;s of thy Word; O grant me the long and much de&s;ired frui|tion of thy Countenance!</Q></P>
<P>He di&s;cour&s;ed at that rate concerning the Re&s;urrection, and Eternal Life, as if he had alrea|dy for&s;aken the earth, and been tran&s;lated into Heaven; with &s;o great &s;ence, and Life of Af|fection did he &s;peak of the&s;e things: And then taking each one by the hand that was pre|&s;ent with him, like the Patri|archs of old, he ble&s;&s;ed them with words full of Gravity and
<PB N="171" REF="92"> Holine&s;s; clo&s;ing his Benedi|ction with &s;uitable Exhortati|ons to every one. That Night beyond Expectation he got a little re&s;t.</P>
<P>And the day following the Magi&s;trates of the City, with many other per&s;ons of quality came to vi&s;it him: To whom he made a very grave di&s;cour&s;e, in which he earne&s;tly recom|mended the Univer&s;ity to their favour and care, and nomina|ted a fit per&s;on to them for his Succe&s;&s;or therein: And as to his private concerns, he affe|ctionately recommended to them al&s;o his dear Wife (who was then big with Child) greatly prai&s;ing her love and tender|ne&s;s towards him in all his weakne&s;s, and Afflictions; ad|ding,</P>
<P><Q>I ingenuou&s;ly profe&s;s to you, I have not laid up two Pence
<PB N="172" REF="93"> out of all my Stipends; for the&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> worldly things were not my care, nor did I ever &s;et my heart upon them.</Q></P>
<P>Tho&s;e pre&s;ent &s;olemnly pro|mi&s;ed to an&s;wer his de&s;ire, i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> all that he had mentioned t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> them; whereupon he exhorte<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Profe&s;&s;ors of Philo&s;ophy t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> per&s;evere in their work, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> yield due obedience to his Suc+ce&s;&s;or. And then he &s;aid,<Q> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> thank my God, that my me+mory, &s;ight, hearing, and th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> re&s;t of my &s;en&s;es are as &s;trong and lively as ever; But m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> heart is e&s;tranged from thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> world; and why, O Lord Je&s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;hould&s;t not thou enjoy m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Heart, who only ha&s;t a righ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> thereto? This hath been my endeavour all my Life long, to dedicate and con&s;ecrate my heart to thee; take it to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;elf, I be&s;eech thee, that i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="173" REF="93"> may remain with thee.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 6. After he had &s;poken <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he&s;e things, a gentle &s;leep came upon him, out of which when he awaked, he expre&s;t a mo&s;t ardent breathing to be di&s;&s;ol|ved, and to be with Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><Q>Come Lord Je&s;us (&s;aid he) break off the thred of this mi&s;erable Life! Make ha&s;t, O Lord, Tarry not! Je&s;us hath Redeemed me, that he might grant to me (not this frail, but) eternal Life. Come Je&s;us! Grant me that life for which thou ha&s;t redeemed me!</Q></P>
<P>And when tho&s;e that &s;tood about him lamented the great lo&s;s they &s;hould have of him, he &s;aid;</P>
<P><Q>I have pa&s;s'd through all the Steps of this life; and am now come to the la&s;t,
<PB N="174" REF="94"> why &s;hould I go back again? By the aid of thy pre&s;ence, O Lord Je&s;us, I &s;hall happi|ly mea&s;ure this Step al&s;o: Lead thou me into that Glo|ry which I have only &s;een through a Gla&s;s: O that I were conver&s;ant with thee!</Q></P>
<P>Upon occa&s;ion of &s;ome one &s;ignifying to him, that the next day was the Sabbath day, he thus expre&s;t him&s;elf.</P>
<P><Q>Let thy Sabbath, O Lord, begin mine eternal Sabbath: Let my Eternal Sabbath re|ceive the pledge of an hap|py beginning from thy Sab|bath.</Q></P>
<P>Towards the middle of the Night he got a little re&s;t, which the &s;trength of his di&s;|ea&s;e &s;oon interrupted; and he &s;uppo&s;ing his la&s;t hour to draw near, &s;ent for Mr. <HI>Walter Bal|canquel,</HI> unto whom, when he
<PB N="175" REF="94"> was come in, he thus addre&s;&s;ed him&s;elf:</P>
<P><Q>Fora&s;much as you have for a long time had a Pa&s;toral charge at <HI>Edinburgh,</HI> and our friend&s;hip is of no late date, I took care to have you &s;ent for, that I might make manife&s;t unto all the Reverence which from my Cradle I have had for the Mini&s;try of Chri&s;t: I have indeed, according to the mea&s;ure of my gift, al|ready poured out my Pray|ers into the bo&s;om of God; and now I intreat you to pray for me, I will joyn with my Heart and Affection; only de&s;ire not the protracting of this Life.</Q></P>
<P>Whereupon all that were pre&s;ent, falling on their Knees, Mr. <HI>Balcanquel</HI> prayed; but a|mong other things he earne&s;t|ly de&s;ired that it might plea&s;e
<PB N="176" REF="95"> God to &s;pare &s;o worthy a man with them for &s;ome longer time, &s;eeing both the Church and Com|mon-wealth had &s;o great need of his &s;ervice; whereupon Mr. <HI>Rol|lock</HI> interrupted him, &s;aying,</P>
<P><Q>I have enough of this Life; the only thing I de&s;ire is that heavenly Life, which is hid with God in Chri&s;t.</Q></P>
<P>When prayer was ended, he brake forth into an earne&s;t com|mendation of the Efficacy of the Word Preached.</P>
<P><Q>The Word (&s;aid he) is both Life, and Death: nor can any <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 2. 16.</NOTE> be &s;aved without the Word. Be|lieve me! 'Tis no trifling mat|ter to preach the Word: It is not like the interpreting a Text of <HI>Plato</HI> or <HI>Ari&s;totle;</HI> or the ma|king an Oration embelli&s;hed with the alluring Ornaments of &s;peech: The Preaching of the Word con&s;i&s;ts in Holine&s;s, Hu|mility,
<PB N="177" REF="95"> and the powerful de|mon&s;tration of the Spirit: How great my e&s;teem of it hath ever been, God is Witne&s;s!</Q></P>
<P>Then turning his di&s;cour&s;e into Prayer, he &s;aid; <Q>Come Lord Je&s;us! break a&s;under the Nerves of the&s;e Eyes, and give me other Eyes! I de|&s;ire to be di&s;&s;olved, and to be with thee; Ha&s;ten thy coming, O Lord Je&s;us, and deferre no longer! Let this faint life go forth, that the better Life of God may enter in: Lord Je&s;us put forth thy hand into this body, and take out this Soul unto thy &s;elf.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 7. From that time till the Sabbath day morning he kept &s;ilence, when again the long|ings he had after his Fathers Hou&s;e, were breathed forth in the&s;e words.</P>
<PB N="178" REF="96">
<P><Q>Come Lord, and tarry not, I am wearyed with the loathing of day and night; Come Lord Je&s;us, that I may come to thee! O &s;weet and happy divorce from this Life: Come Lord, who art my &s;weet|ne&s;s, and &s;et this Soul at li|berty that it may enjoy thee it's Husband; break this Heart of mine in two, that it may fly to thee it's Head.</Q></P>
<P>To this one replyed, Hither|to Chri&s;t hath po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed your whole heart, and he will take it whole unto him&s;elf. To which he returned an&s;wer,</P>
<P><Q>I de&s;ire the breaking in two of this Heart, that this natural Life may be let out, and it may be wholly re|pleni&s;ht with the Life of Chri&s;t.</Q></P>
<P>Then one of the by-&s;tanders &s;aid; Let no anxiety trouble
<PB N="179" REF="96"> you; your Lord is now ha&s;ten|ing.</P>
<P><Q>Tho&s;e (&s;aid he) are wel|come tidings unto me; I would my Funeral was to be to morrow.</Q></P>
<P>Another &s;aid, Happy is that Soul which is &s;o near to the Lord as yours is. To which he replyed,</P>
<P><Q>There is nothing in me which I account not as dung, that I may win Chri&s;t: Chri&s;t is the only matter of my Comfort; my own Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s is a men&s;truous cloth.</Q></P>
<P>Being asked, if he de&s;ired to &s;peak with any of the Mini|&s;ters; he &s;aid, he would not give them trouble now they were ju&s;t preparing them&s;elves to preach.</P>
<P><Q>Let me (&s;aid he) chatter with my Lord like a Crane.</Q> Being informed that Sermon
<PB N="180" REF="97"> was begun. <Q>Lord (&s;aid he) grant that I may &s;ee what others now hear!</Q></P>
<P>About noon, when one com|forted him with the remem|brance of his unwearied pains and diligent endeavour to pro|mote the Glory of God all his life time; he replyed,</P>
<P><Q>I have nothing to Glory in but the Mercy of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us: All other things I count but lo&s;s!</Q></P>
<P>After a little re&s;t, a per&s;on of con&s;iderable rank vi&s;iting him, he again took the occa|&s;ion of an earne&s;t recommen|dation of what might tend to the promoting of Religion to his care in his Station: And in the following Night he was ob&s;erved to &s;ay; <Q>I have a peaceful mind in a &s;ick bo|dy; I am not perplex't with the fear of Death, Sin, or Sa|tan,
<PB N="181" REF="97"> they have no Dominion over me: yet &s;o great is the weight of my di&s;temper, that it is much beyond expecta|tion that I &s;ub&s;i&s;t to this hour. He brui&s;es me as with a Pe&s;tle in the Mortar of Affliction, that he may form me for his own Kingdom.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 8. On the next day being Monday, he &s;aid to tho&s;e about him,</P>
<P><Q>It may &s;eem &s;trange, &s;ee|ing I am &s;o &s;orely handled with my di&s;ea&s;e, that my life &s;hould be protracted thus long: But with patience I wait for the good plea&s;ure of the Lord: Let him do with me what plea&s;eth him, I will not di&s;pute it with him: What is man that he &s;hould dare to contend with God! yea though he &s;hould thru&s;t
<PB N="182" REF="98"> him down to Hell, he mu&s;t obey, and not reply upon God: Be gracious unto me, O Lord, for Chri&s;t Je&s;us &s;ake: I am not a&s;hamed to profe&s;s that I never before attained to &s;o high a pitch of the Knowledge of God, as I have done in this &s;ickne&s;s. O what a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of the Lord! But Mercy is laid up for me in Chri&s;t. Why art thou Sor|rowful, O my Soul? why art thou ca&s;t down within me? thou &s;halt by and by obtain a mo&s;t plea&s;ant &s;ight, and congre&s;s.</Q></P>
<P>Towards evening, he told his Friends that he experienced in him&s;elf the truth of the &s;ixth P&s;alm, and repeated &s;ome Pa&s;|&s;ages therein; as <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 2. <HI>Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord heal me, for</HI>
<PB N="183" REF="98"> <HI>my bones are vexed:</HI> To which he added, <Q>Chri&s;t will bear my burthen, and I will fol|low, him being unheld by his Grace.</Q></P>
<P>When tho&s;e that were about him, ob&s;erving the bitterne&s;s and extremity of his di&s;ea&s;e, brake out into Tears and Lamentati|on for him.</P>
<P><Q>Lament not my ca&s;e (&s;aid he) but weep for your own &s;ins; &s;eeing none are free from &s;in, none want occa&s;ion of weeping; but as for me, I &s;hall quickly &s;ee the end and con&s;ummation of all.</Q></P>
<P>The care of his Funeral he recommended to two of his intire Friends pre&s;ent, and when he had fini&s;hed his Directions about what he would have done therein; he &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>Why &s;hould I not take care of this body, &s;eeing that
<PB N="184" REF="99"> al&s;o &s;hall be glorified, and made conformable to the glo|rious body of Chri&s;t: (and looking upon his hands) <HI>The&s;e very hands &s;hall &s;hine with ex|cellent Glory.</HI></Q></P>
<P>After this he was not able to &s;peak much; but to the ve|ry la&s;t what he did utter was with a wonderful &s;avour, &s;till expre&s;&s;ing the inward joy and peace of his Soul, and a mo&s;t a&s;&s;ured Confidence of a com|pleat and glorious Victory in this la&s;t conflict; and in a few hours he fini&s;hed his cour&s;e; and &s;weetly &s;lept in Je&s;us.</P>
<P>Before I pa&s;s to another Sto|ry, I cannot but mention one thing more that happened a little before this holy man drew his la&s;t breath; And it is this.</P>
<P>One of his kindred coming in to &s;ee him, and perceiving that he was nigh to death,
<PB N="185" REF="99"> being him&s;elf a Stranger to Religion and Piety, yet convin|ced that it could not but be well with &s;o holy a man as Mr. <HI>Rollock,</HI> entreated of him, That when he came to Hea|ven, he would Mediate for him and the re&s;t of his Friends here below. But how grievous this ignorant and impious reque&s;t was to the Soul of this ble&s;&s;ed Saint, will be ea&s;ily gue&s;&s;ed by tho&s;e, that as he did, love the honour of Chri&s;t more than their own lives; Though be|fore he lay as one ready to give up the Gho&s;t, at the hear|ing of this, his Zeal was &s;o &s;tirred in him, that he rai&s;es him&s;elf upright, and with a great fervency replyes, <Q> I re|fu&s;e that Office: Chri&s;t is the only Mediator. </Q>And &s;o deep was the impre&s;&s;ion of trou|ble this made upon his Spirit,
<PB N="186" REF="100"> that a while after, when his elder Brother came to vi&s;it him, he left this charge upon him.</P>
<P><Q>Do you (&s;aid he) rebuke that Kin&s;man of ours, and ad|moni&s;h him that he take ano|ther cour&s;e, otherwi&s;e there is no Salvation for him, but mo&s;t certain ruine.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 9. The next in&s;tance I &s;hall touch upon, is that of Mr. <HI>John</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Oecolampa|dius.</NOTE> <HI>Oecolampadius,</HI> who while he lived was al&s;o an eminent In&s;trument in the Reformation of Religion, and one of the fir&s;t (with <HI>Zuinglius</HI> and others) who&s;e labours it plea&s;ed God to &s;ucceed for the accompli&s;hing of an happy beginning of that great work in <HI>Ba&s;il,</HI> and other of the <HI>Svi&s;&s;e Cantons:</HI> He was a per&s;on very con&s;iderable both for his Learning and Piety; but
<PB N="187" REF="100"> for nothing more to be com|mended, than for his Peaceable temper, and Chri&s;tian Modera|tion, in tho&s;e controver&s;ies with which the reformed Churches were then exerci&s;ed among them&s;elves in the bu&s;ine&s;s of the <HI>Lords Supper:</HI> For though he was both free in declaring, and con&s;tant in a&s;&s;erting that truth which the Lord had made known to him, yet his great care was, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to &s;peak the truth in love;</HI> and to ma|nage the defence thereof with|out bitterne&s;s towards, or Pro|vocation of, tho&s;e that did in that point di&s;&s;ent from him. And as he was a man &s;tudious of Peace in his life, &s;o it plea|&s;ed the Lord to guard his Soul with a Peace that pa&s;&s;eth all under&s;tanding, and to fill his Heart with Spiritual and Hea|venly joy when he came to dye.</P>
<PB N="188" REF="101">
<P> After he had for &s;ome con|&s;iderable time laboured in the Mini&s;try of the Word at <HI>Ba&s;il,</HI> it plea&s;ed God there to vi&s;it him with his la&s;t &s;ickne&s;s, in the Forty ninth year of his Age, which he pre&s;ently ap|prehended would prove mortal to him, and accordingly gave warning to his Friends that they &s;hould expect no other: But &s;o far was he from being terrifyed by the approach of death, that on the contrary he expre&s;t the greate&s;t longings after that Heavenly light, and Crown of Glory which he &s;aw ready prepared for him, &s;o &s;oon as the earthly hou&s;e of this Ta|bernacle &s;hould be taken down: He waited not for the Con&s;o|lations of others in this la&s;t con|flict, but was ready to Mini|&s;ter Con&s;olation to all that were about him; in&s;omuch that
<PB N="189" REF="101"> his mo&s;t Chri&s;tian and comfor|table End, was no le&s;s for the Confirmation and encourage|ment of the Godly in their Holy profe&s;&s;ion, than his Do|ctrine and blamele&s;s Life had been. He was an example of dying well, as he had been before of living well: of which abundant te&s;timony is given by tho&s;e worthy men that familiarly and almo&s;t con&s;tantly conver&s;ed. with him in the&s;e his la&s;t hours. Among whom <HI>Simon Grynaeus,</HI> a man who&s;e prai&s;e is in the Reformed Churches, was one; who hath left us the ac|count of the following di&s;cour&s;e that this pious Servant of Chri&s;t made to him and the re&s;t of the Mini&s;ters of the Church, a little before his departure; which alone is &s;ufficient to ju|&s;tifie all that hath been before &s;aid of the frame of his Spirit
<PB N="190" REF="102"> upon his dying bed. It is as follows.</P>
<P>&sect;. 10. <Q>You &s;ee Brethren what the bu&s;ine&s;s is: The Lord is at hand, he cometh, and is now about to take me hence: and therefore I was de&s;irous to call you fir&s;t, and with my deare&s;t Friends to &s;ati|ate this Soul of mine with a &s;incere Joy in the Lord, and true con&s;olation. What &s;hall we &s;ay then in this la&s;t Embrace, O ye Servants of Chri&s;t, whom the &s;ame Love to their Lord, the &s;ame Stu|dy, and the &s;ame Doctrine hath mo&s;t clo&s;ely knit toge|ther! Salvation is obtained; It is obtained (I &s;ay) by Chri&s;t; and we have all Confidence of the Kingdom of God: Our Doctrine is certain, and light is prepared for our feet: It
<PB N="191" REF="102"> is meet that all Sorrow, all fears of Life or Death, all doubting and error &s;hould be bani&s;ht far away: Only this (my Brethren!) this only remains, that we con&s;tantly and faithfully per&s;evere in tho&s;e foot&s;teps of Chri&s;t which we have already entred up|on, by maintaining Purity of Doctrine in the fir&s;t place, and then by a Life in all things conformed to the true Word of God: Other things he will take care of who is Mighty, and of his own ac|cord watcheth his own, even Chri&s;t our Lord: He will de|fend his own Church: Let us &s;ee to it therefore (Bre|thren!) that our light &s;o &s;hine that God the Father may be glorified in us, and the Name of Chri&s;t rendred illu&s;trious through the light of your
<PB N="192" REF="103"> Sincerity and holy Life. See that you love one another in Truth; and lead your whole Life as under the Eye, and in the &s;ight of God: 'Tis to no purpo&s;e to pre&s;s Piety with words only; The light of Truth and Holine&s;s in Life, with the true and Heavenly Spirit of the Mind, are ne|ce&s;&s;ary, if we would vanqui&s;h Satan, and convert the World to our Lord Chri&s;t. For (O my Brethren!) What clouds are there ari&s;ing, and what a tempe&s;t draws near! what alienation of men, and what impiety is at the door! But Brethren! It behoves you to &s;tand fa&s;t, and to abide it: The Lord him&s;elf will be pre|&s;ent with you in his Con|cerns: O that my Lot were to undergo the&s;e dangers with you! and that I could often
<PB N="193" REF="103"> &s;pill this Life for the Truth! But however Love is undivi|ded, and the bond in Chri&s;t indi&s;&s;oluble; all things are common to the Godly among them&s;elves.</Q></P>
<P>The&s;e things he uttered with re&s;pect to the common Cau&s;e of Religion; And as to what concern'd him&s;elf he told them,</P>
<P><Q>I matter not the &s;candal which &s;ome have imputed to me, as if I had corrupted the Truth: Through the Grace of God, I am now going to the Tribunal of Chri&s;t with a good Con&s;cience: There it will be manife&s;t that the Church hath not been &s;educed by us. And of this Solemn Prote&s;tation I leave you my Witne&s;&s;es, which I al&s;o con|firm with my la&s;t breath.</Q></P>
<P>The next day (which was the fifteenth from his fir&s;t &s;ick|ne&s;s)
<PB N="194" REF="104"> he cau&s;ed his Children to be brought before him, and fir&s;t took them by the hand, then &s;troaked each of them, and calling them by their Names &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>Thou <HI>Eu&s;ebius,</HI> thou <HI>Irene,</HI> and thou <HI>Alethea,</HI> my dear Children! &s;ee that you love God.</Q></P>
<P>And becau&s;e by rea&s;on of their age, they were not yet ca|pable of attending to the Charge of their dying Father (the Elde&s;t being but about three years Old) he turned him to his Wife and the re&s;t of his Relations pre&s;ent, and &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>It is you that I have bound by this charge to do your Endeavour, that according to my de&s;ire and what they now hear, my Children may be Pious, Peaceable, and Faith|ful. </Q> This he &s;pake with al|lu&s;ion
<PB N="195" REF="104"> to the &s;ignification of their Names: And their Mo|ther with the re&s;t, &s;ignifing their acceptance of this charge; he de&s;ired them to take a way the Children again.</P>
<P>The La&s;t night he lived here being come, his inward Joy did no way abate, but rather increa&s;e as death drew nearer to him. One of his intimate friends coming, in he asked him, <HI>what News he had brought;</HI> his Friend told him, <HI>None: Why then</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>I will tell you news; I &s;hall in a little time be with the Lord Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>A while after, when they asked, <HI>If the light did not of|fend him;</HI> touching his brea&s;t, he &s;aid, <HI>Abund&eacute; lucis e&s;t! Here is abundance of Light!</HI></P>
<P>The next morning his fatal hour came on, before which, he prayed with an ardent Affecti|on
<PB N="196" REF="105"> for the Remi&s;&s;ion of Sin, repeating the 51 <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> from the beginning to the end; And then after a little pau&s;e and breathing, he renewed his pray|er in the&s;e words: <HI>Chri&s;t Je&s;us &s;ave me!</HI> which were the la&s;t he uttered, and then &s;weetly breathed forth his pious Soul into the bo&s;om of his Re|deemer. He changed this Life for an Heavenly, on the fir&s;t day of <HI>December</HI> in the year 1531. And as Mr. <HI>Rollock</HI> pro|fe&s;&s;ed upon his death-bed, that he had laid up nothing of this World in his Life; &s;o it is ob|&s;erved of this good man, <Q>That he made no Will, becau&s;e he had nothing to di&s;po&s;e of:</Q></P>
<P>So far were the&s;e fir&s;t Reform|ers from &s;eeking great things for them&s;elves! <HI>Riches profit not in the day of wrath, but Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s delivereth from death:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Pro.</HI> 11. 4.</NOTE>
<PB N="197" REF="105"> <HI>To be rich towards God,</HI> to have <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 12. 21</NOTE> an Heart filled with Grace and Spiritual Comfort, and <HI>the te|&s;timony</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 12</NOTE> <HI>of a good Con&s;cience, that with &s;implicity and godly &s;incerity we have had our conver&s;ation in the World;</HI> will prove the be&s;t portion when we come to dye; and afford &s;uch ea&s;e to us up|on a &s;ick bed, as all the Trea|&s;ure under Heaven cannot pro|cure the like.</P>
<P>&sect;. 11. The Jewi&s;h Writers, from that Pa&s;&s;age of the <HI>P&s;al|mi&s;t:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a.</HI> 41. 3.</NOTE> <HI>The Lord will &s;trengthen him upon the bed of langui&s;hing; thou wilt make all his bed in his &s;ickne&s;s;</HI> have a Proverbial &s;aying <HI>in Tract. Nedar:</HI> to this &s;ence; <HI>Maje&s;tas divina &s;edet ad caput lecti aegrotantis: i. e. The divine Maje&s;ty &s;itteth (or abi|deth) at the &s;ick mans beds|head.</HI> His &s;ick bed is turned
<PB N="198" REF="106"> into a Sanctuary, by the Gra|cious pre&s;ence of God with him. This we have &s;een veri|fied in the former Examples, and &s;hall yet meet with a fur|ther Confirmation of, in the experience of <HI>Joachimus Curaeus,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Curaeus.</NOTE> a Learned and Pious Doctor of Phy&s;ick in <HI>Germany;</HI> and a Zealous Prote&s;tant; who fini|&s;hed his cour&s;e in the year 1573. being the Forty fir&s;t currant of his age. He was a per&s;on that e&s;teemed Religi|on to be his greate&s;t concern while he lived, and continual|ly exerci&s;ed him&s;elf in a dili|gent and &s;erious practice there|of; And as he would by no means be diverted from work|ing out his own Salvation with fear and trembling, by fervent Prayer, and all manner of Ho|ly Conver&s;ation in the World, &s;o it plea&s;ed God when he cal|led
<PB N="199" REF="106"> him out of the World, to afford him &s;uch an abundant Enjoyment and &s;ence of his love in Chri&s;t, as carryed him through the Agonies of death with a more than ordinary Triumph and rejoycing. In his la&s;t hours it was mo&s;t con|vincingly manife&s;t, that Chri&s;t had given unto him a large draught of that water of Life, which was in him a well of water &s;pringing up unto Eter|nal Life; from which ble&s;&s;ed Fountain he poured forth abun|dant Con&s;olations to all that were with him in that Con|flict, if &s;o happy a departure, and &s;o &s;weet a &s;leep, as death was made to him, may yet be called a Conflict.</P>
<P>When he found his &s;ickne&s;s had prevailed over Nature &s;o far, as that his di&s;&s;olution mu&s;t needs be ha&s;tning on, he whol|ly
<PB N="200" REF="107"> applyed him&s;elf to ardent Prayers and Supplications unto God, making u&s;e of that exer|ci&s;e for the ea&s;e and &s;upport of his Soul in &s;ickne&s;s, which had been his delight and Com|fort in his health; And &s;everal times in one day, cau&s;ing his his Wife and Children to come to him, he did with an inex|pre&s;&s;ible Zeal and Affection ex|hort them to Piety and Virtue; and then in a &s;olemn manner recommended both them and his la&s;t charge to them, to the ble&s;&s;ing of God; who in this al&s;o heard the Prayers of his Servant; and rai&s;ed up two of his Sons after him, to be emi|nent examples both of Piety Virtue and Learning in their Generation; thereby making good his word, That <HI>the Gene|ration of the upright &s;hall be ble&s;&s;ed.</HI></P>
<PB N="201" REF="107">
<P> &sect;. 12. Being taken away in the mid&s;t of his years, at that age which was the ripe&s;t for Service, he would often repeat the mournful complaint of <HI>He|zekiah; I have cut off like a Weaver my life,</HI> &amp;c: But then his perfect acquie&s;cence in the will of God, and rejoycing in his Salvation, was as frequent|ly expre&s;t, in the following words, which are &s;ome of tho&s;e holy &s;ayings which plentifully i&s;&s;ued from his pure Heart in this la&s;t &s;ickne&s;s: <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P><Q>I am broken, O Lord! but it &s;atisfies me that thy hand hath done this, not the De|vil. The Body indeed &s;uffers becau&s;e of Sin, but thou Com|forte&s;t my Soul with a mo&s;t &s;ure Hope, and expectation of eternal Life. I believe, O Lord! I believe; but do thou
<PB N="202" REF="108"> help mine unbelief: I have re|ceived a Me&s;&s;age of death, but I will wre&s;tle with thee O Lord Je&s;us, after the Ex|ample of thy holy Pilgrim <HI>Jacob,</HI> untill the Morning beams of thy light break up, ari&s;e, and &s;hine upon me; nei|ther will I let thee go unle&s;s thou ble&s;s me, and my Soul be &s;aved; Therefore O Je&s;us Chri&s;t, thou wilt ble&s;s me, and &s;ave my Soul, giving un|to me a Believer, Remi&s;&s;ion of Sins, Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Life! Come Lord Je&s;us, and let all that love thee &s;ay, Come! And he that loves thee not, let him be <HI>Anathema Maranatha:</HI> Thou knowe&s;t, O Lord, who art the &s;earcher of Hearts, That I love thee; And thou love&s;t me, yea thou love&s;t me in Truth, and art my Redeemer by thy
<PB N="203" REF="108"> Merit and Efficacy. Into thy hands, O Lord, I com|mend my Spirit, for thou ha&s;t Redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth.</Q></P>
<P>And then reflecting upon the time of his &s;ickne&s;s, (for he dyed <HI>January</HI> 21.) he pro|ceeded in further expre&s;&s;ions of his a&s;&s;ured Confidence in God, and inward Joy, through the lively hope and foreta&s;t of the ble&s;&s;ings of that Kingdom he was going to, after this manner:</P>
<P><Q>I &s;hall be with thee in the beginning of this new Year; I &s;hall be &s;atiated with the &s;ight of thee, O Lord! I &s;hall drink with thee at thy Ta|ble the New Juice of Eter|nal Joy, even in thy Fathers hou&s;e, where there are many Man&s;ions; <HI>there is a place for me al&s;o;</HI> and there &s;hall I
<PB N="204" REF="109"> &s;it at thy Table. Refre&s;h me, O Son of God, with thy Spi|rit, and with thy quickening pre&s;ence. I come unto thee, Je&s;us Chri&s;t; Receive thou me according to thy Promi&s;e, which is the only repa&s;t, and Recreation of my Soul. <HI>Iam meum pectus ardet con&s;pectu vitae eternae, cujus ver&egrave; &s;entio in me initia.</HI> i. e. Now doth my Heart burn, through the &s;ight of Eternal Life, the Begin|nings of which I truly feel in my &s;elf: And this is Life Eternal, to know thee the true God, and Je&s;us Chri&s;t whom thou ha&s;t &s;ent. Through thy goodne&s;s I have learned, and I have taught others, rightly to acknowledge thee: Do thou again acknowledge me, O Son of God, and em|brace me with thy Saving Grace, even with thy Holy
<PB N="205" REF="109"> Spirit; do thou pre&s;ent this Soul to thy Eternal Father, who will readily receive it from thy hand; My de&s;ire and rejoycing is to come un|to him; and becau&s;e I am not yet come, all delay &s;eems long unto me; O thou Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, light me into Eternal light and Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s: I de&s;ire, with thine Apo&s;tle, to be di&s;&s;olved, and to be with thee; Loo&s;e me, that I may be with thee: I am greatly wearyed, and I wait for the entertainment which thou ha&s;t &s;hewn me. As the Traveller in his Jour|ney, at Night time de&s;ires the Sun-ri&s;ing; &s;o do I de&s;ire after the clear light, even the &s;ight of the Father, Son, and Holy Gho&s;t. When my voice and &s;peech &s;hall fail me, Grant, O Merciful Saviour, that thy
<PB N="206" REF="110"> Holy Spirit may &s;peak unto thee in my Heart, and make interce&s;&s;ion for me with groan|ings that cannot be uttered: Let his motions &s;pring up in my brea&s;t, and move thy Heart unto Mercy towards me. Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;itte&s;t at the right hand of thy Eternal Father, receive my Spirit.</Q></P>
<P>&sect;. 13. The&s;e were the Medi|tations, and this the exerci&s;e of this Holy man upon his dy|ing bed: He felt this Taberna|cle to be falling, but knew he had an hou&s;e not made with hands, Eternal in the Heavens; and his pious Soul was filled with Heavenly triumph, in the certain expectation of a Glori|ous Re&s;urrection of that &s;ame body of his, which was now ready to be &s;own in corrupti|on,
<PB N="207" REF="110"> which with an admirable &s;weetne&s;s and comfort, he thus expre&s;s'd: </P>
<Q><P> I &s;hall &s;ee thee my Saviour, in my fle&s;h, which thou ha&s;t exalted to the right hand of the Eternal Father; and I will give thee thanks in the pre&s;ence of thy Father, for all the Good things which thou ha&s;t communicated un|to me. Yea thou wilt place thy Holy Angels to be the Guardians of my Body, that they may keep my du&s;t, which hath been, and to all Eter|nity &s;hall be, the dwelling place of thy Holy Spirit. It is impo&s;&s;ible that this fle&s;h of mine, which is the Tem|ple of the Holy Gho&s;t, this Ma&s;s of my body, which is quickened by the effu&s;ion, and communication of the Spirit of Chri&s;t, and &s;o in&s;erted in|to the fle&s;h of Chri&s;t, &s;hould
<PB N="208" REF="111"> be reduced unto nothing, or abide in death, and ever re|main du&s;t and a&s;hes: But thou who art the Author of Life, will remand from the Earth this thine own Image, even out of the &s;malle&s;t Crums of du&s;t and a&s;hes that are there; By &s;ending forth thy breath thou wilt again build up my body alive and Glo|rious, which &s;hall be the ha|bitation of the whole Divini|ty, dwelling therein to all Eternity. There &s;hall we fol|low the Lamb whither&s;oever he &s;hall go; O Guide truly fair and Divine! There &s;hall we &s;ing a New Song: Let us rejoyce! <HI>Hallelujah!</HI></P>
<P>O Come, let us go forth to meet our Saviour: Our <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> Right as Citizens is in Hea|ven; but in this Life we mu&s;t begin Eternal Life, and
<PB N="209" REF="111"> follow the order which Chri&s;t hath appointed; We &s;hall be cloathed upon, if &s;o be that we be not found Naked: That mo&s;t lovely Lamb of God which takes away the &s;ins of the world, will lead us unto the Fountains of living Waters, and wipe away all Tears from our Eyes. <HI>Eye hath not &s;een, nor Ear heard, neither have entred into the Heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.</HI> This Earthly Life is Death, but that Life which Chri&s;t begins in me, is Life indeed; Now it is no more I that live, but Chri&s;t that liveth in me; therefore let him be prai&s;ed. O hap|py Soul, in which thou Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;itte&s;t as the Guide and Rector of all its actions and Motions. I &s;ee Heaven
<PB N="210" REF="112"> open unto me! Now lette&s;t thou thy Servant depart in Peace, O Lord, for mine Eyes indeed have &s;een thy Salva|tion! Thou, O Chri&s;t, art the Re&s;urrection and Life; How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord! O Chri&s;t my Re|deemer, carefully watch my Soul, that it &s;uffer no detri|ment by the horrible and in|fernal Dragon, the Devil. Let my Soul be bound up in the bundle of Life; and let this my pa&s;&s;age hence be happy; let it be to me the way to tho&s;e that live an immortal and Heavenly Life.</P></Q>
<P>&sect;. 14. After, this he again mo&s;t affectionately prayed for his Wife and Children, but in terms arguing &s;uch a nearne&s;s to God and Holy Familiarity with him, as if a man had
<PB N="211" REF="112"> been &s;peaking to his Friend, and devolving a care upon him that he knew mo&s;t a&s;&s;uredly he would willingly take upon him&s;elf and &s;ee to; He migh|tily Comforted him&s;elf with the thoughts of Chri&s;ts &s;ympa|thy and compa&s;&s;ion, who (&s;aith he) will certainly hear me in all the&s;e things. And when one exhorted him to be of good hope, for God would help him; he an&s;wered,</P>
<P><Q>'Tis right: The Lord will certainly help me, by a fi|nal deliverance; according to that; <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the dead which dye in the Lord:</HI> In the Lord then do I dye, who is my Life; I dye in the acknow|ledgment, Faith, and Confi|dence of Chri&s;t the Media|tor, who is my Shade of defence, and my Brother, who cloatheth me with the
<PB N="212" REF="113"> garment of his Righteou&s;ne&s;s; I &s;hall therefore be happy, I &s;hall be Righteous; O &s;weet Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s! &s;weet Righteou&s;|ne&s;s! O &s;weet change and Tran&s;lation from Sin to In|nocency, from Darkne&s;s in|to Light, from Death to Life.</Q></P>
<P>Many Prayers al&s;o he put up for the Church of God, e&s;pecially that the pure Do|ctrine of the Go&s;pel might be tran&s;mitted without corruption to Po&s;terity; and with Tears bewailed the wickedne&s;s of tho&s;e who by their corrupt Notions were an hindrance to its cour&s;e. And once more (a little before his Soul departed) his Friends being about him, he &s;olemnly recommends him&s;elf to Chri&s;t, and repeats the Confe&s;&s;ion of his Faith; expre&s;&s;ing great thank|fulne&s;s to God for the Refor|mation,
<PB N="213" REF="113"> and for tho&s;e that he had u&s;ed as In&s;truments there|in.</P>
<P><Q>I am now dying (&s;aid he) and di&s;mi&s;t as that Servant of God holy <HI>Simeon;</HI> I al&s;o being the Servant of God, and Ho|ly; I dye in the Confe&s;&s;ion of the writings of the Prophets and Holy Apo&s;tles; and of the Ancient Creeds; and al&s;o adhering to the <HI>Augu&s;tane Confe&s;&s;ion;</HI> I give thanks to God, That of his Infinite goodne&s;s he hath di&s;pell'd the darkne&s;s, and re&s;tored to us the Light and Purity of his Go&s;pel.</Q></P>
<P>At length, in the mid&s;t of his Prayers and earne&s;t breath|ings after God, he yielded up his Soul into the hands and bo&s;om of his Redeemer, where he re&s;ts from his Labours, and his works follow him.</P>
<PB N="214" REF="114">
<P> &sect;. 15. Another In&s;tance wor|thy of our Remembrance and imitation, I &s;hall give you, in Mr. <HI>Matthew We&s;enbeck,</HI> an eminent <HI>Civilian;</HI> who after he had run the cour&s;e of an Holy Life, from his fir&s;t Con|ver&s;ion to the fifty fifth year of his Age, departed this Life at <HI>Wittenburg,</HI> in the year 1586.</P>
<P>The means by which God fir&s;t awakened him to &s;eek af|ter and embrace the knowledge of the Truth, was this.</P>
<P>While he was &s;tudying the Law at <HI>Lovane,</HI> it fell out that there was a poor man in the City, who being blind made it his bu&s;ine&s;s to vi&s;it the Sick, and to in&s;truct and comfort them as he could with Texts of Scripture, (in which he was well ver&s;ed;) in recompence of which pious office, tho&s;e that
<PB N="215" REF="114"> were well di&s;po&s;ed, would re|lieve his Nece&s;&s;ity with a piece of Bread and Chee&s;e: After &s;ome time, this poor man was accu&s;ed of Here&s;ie, and commit|ted to Pri&s;on; near this pri&s;on, <HI>We&s;enbeck</HI> with his fellow Stu|dents were wont to recreate them&s;elves with the Ball; on which occa&s;ion they often heard this blind man with a clear voice &s;inging the P&s;alms of <HI>David</HI> according to <HI>Luthers</HI> Metaphra&s;e; and this Holy ex|erci&s;e the good man performed with &s;o much Devotion and Affection, as wrought in them a more than ordinary attention to him, although it was not without &s;ome danger to them|&s;elves; And it plea&s;ed God &s;o to work upon <HI>We&s;enbeck,</HI> by this example of Chri&s;tian con|&s;tancy and Zeal, together with the matter which he heard,
<PB N="216" REF="115"> that thenceforward he began diligently to &s;earch the Scrip|tures, and al&s;o to read the Wri|tings of tho&s;e of the Refor|med Religion; by which means he became not only fully con|vinced of the Truth, but al&s;o received it in the Love thereof, and abode mo&s;t con&s;tant in the Faith and Practice of it to his dying day; being an eminent example of Zeal and &s;trict Pie|ty in his whole life: He had an extraordinary Affection to the Holy Scriptures, but e&s;pe|cially the book of P&s;alms and the New Te&s;tament were mo&s;t dear and delightful to him: And notwith&s;tanding the nece&s;&s;ary cour&s;e of his Studyes, and (for &s;ome time al&s;o) great Practice in the Law, he u&s;ually &s;pent at fit &s;ea&s;ons no le&s;s than five hours in a day in Prayers and reti|red communion with God; He
<PB N="217" REF="115"> was not like many that can <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">d no lei&s;ure for Religion, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hat is, cannot attend to work <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ut their own Salvation: but made Con&s;cience to &s;teer his whole cour&s;e as a man re&s;ol|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed for Heaven: And his Righ|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eou&s;ne&s;s and Charity towards men was not inferior to his Piety towards God; He ever <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">bhorr'd tho&s;e Artifices which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re too common with practiti|oners in the Law; his Candor, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aithfulne&s;s, and Ju&s;tice in his practice, made his Name pre|cious to all that knew him; And as it plea&s;ed God to ble&s;s him with a plentiful Supply of the good things of this world, &s;o Religion taught him not to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ru&s;t in uncertain Riches, but <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o be rich in good works; His way was to give a charge <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o all his Servants, that they &s;hould never turn away the
<PB N="218" REF="116"> Poor from his door without relief; And when they ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> not pre&s;ently regarded the poor nor li&s;tened &s;o &s;oon as they ought to their cry, him&s;elf would open his Window and throw down Money to them.</P>
<P>Thus did this good man &s;pend his Life and his Sub&s;tance in the Fear of God, and work|ing Righteou&s;ne&s;s; and accord|ingly his latter end was Peace; for when he lay upon his death Bed he was filled with the Con&s;olations of God: He woul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> often repeat that of the Apo|&s;tle <HI>Paul,</HI> Rom. 7. <HI>O wretche<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> man that I am, who &s;hall deliver me from the Body of this death! I thank God through Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord.</HI></P>
<P>And that; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. <HI>He hath &s;ealed us, and given the earne&s;t of his Spirit in our Hearts, by which we cry, Abba, Father.</HI></P>
<PB N="219" REF="116">
<P> Another time with great re|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oycing he told tho&s;e that were with him,</P>
<P><Q>That now God had &s;hewn to him a place of Eternal Joy, unto which he &s;hould immediately come; and the only thing he de&s;ired, was that his coming thither might be ha&s;tened.</Q></P>
<P>He would often rehear&s;e di|vers pa&s;&s;ages out of the P&s;alms; as, <HI>The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him in Truth: He will fulfill the de&s;ire of them that fear him, he will hear their pray|er and &s;ave them.</HI></P>
<P>And immediately before he gave up the Gho&s;t, he profe&s;&s;ed; <HI>That he was in Covenant with the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> which words were his la&s;t.</P>
<P>&sect;. 16. In the&s;e experiences we &s;ee that they which believe
<PB N="220" REF="117"> in Chri&s;t, never dye; <HI>i. e.</HI> th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> never feel the S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ng of death nor fall under its power, but are enabled by the Faith of the Son of God perfectly to vanqui&s;h <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> King of Terrors; yea though death a&s;&s;ail them in his mo&s;t affrighting &s;hape, yet is he not able to remove them from their &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s, or to abate their Joyes; we have innumerable proofs of this in the End of tho&s;e Holy Martyrs, who though they have been called to &s;eal their Witne&s;s for God by violent, yea by mo&s;t cruel kinds of death, have notwith&s;tanding fini&s;hed their cour&s;e with a mo&s;t Glorious Peace, and rejoycing in the hope of their calling: Howbeit I &s;hall not here in&s;i&s;t on any of tho&s;e in&s;tances; But to let you &s;ee that death in it's darke&s;t dre&s;s is welcome to a man a&s;|&s;ured
<PB N="221" REF="117"> of his Intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, and Peace with God, take the &s;tory of one <HI>Sebaldus Mun&s;ter</HI> a Civilian, that flouri&s;hed about the year, 1540. Whom it plea|&s;ed the Lord to vi&s;it with the Plague, of which he dyed at <HI>Wittenberg,</HI> in a time when a general &s;ickne&s;s raged there. This per&s;on, when &s;ome of his Friends came to vi&s;it and Com|fort him a few hours before his death; he &s;hewed to them the Swellings and pe&s;tiferous Ulcers which were broken out in his Hand and Arm; &s;ay|ing,</P>
<P><Q>And how do the&s;e Brace|lets and precious Gemms wherewith my Chri&s;t hath adorned me, plea&s;e you?</Q></P>
<P>At which words when they brake forth into Tears, he far|ther &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>Let not the&s;e by any means
<PB N="222" REF="118"> &s;eem loath&s;ome unto you; for with this Wedding-appa|rel am I going to enjoy that Heavenly Fea&s;t which I &s;hall have with my Chri&s;t for ever. Thus &s;hall I pa&s;s to that everla&s;ting Council of mo&s;t Excellent and holy Souls; and thus &s;hall I be accepta|ble to God my Redeemer.</Q></P>
<P>Thus triumphing and full of Joy did he leave the World, having got a clear &s;ight of a better, that is an Heavenly Countrey. And though to dye of the Plague may &s;eem to Sence very di&s;mal, yet as <HI>Au|&s;tin</HI> hath well ob&s;erved; <HI>lib.</HI> 1. <HI>de Civitate Dei: cap.</HI> 11. <HI>Mala mors putanda non e&s;t, quam bona vita praece&s;&s;erit,</HI> &amp;c: <HI>i. e.</HI> <Q>No kind of Death is to be e&s;teem|ed evil, which hath been preceded by a good Life: for nothing makes Death evil,
<PB N="223" REF="118"> but that which follows Death: Therefore they that of nece&s;|&s;ity mu&s;t dye once, need not be Thoughtful by what ac|cident they may come to dye, but rather whither they mu&s;t go when they dye.</Q> 'Tis an excellent &s;aying of the Author of the Book of Wi&s;|dom: <HI>chap.</HI> 4. 7. <HI>The Righteous man though prevented by Death, &s;hall be in re&s;t.</HI> The mo&s;t ter|rible or &s;uddain &s;troke can make no breach upon his happine&s;s to whom <HI>to live is Chri&s;t, and to dye is gain.</HI> They are alwaies &s;afe that have made their Cal|ling and Election &s;ure; and on the contrary, &s;uch are alwayes in danger that live without God in the World. I Remem|ber upon occa&s;ion of that pa&s;|&s;age before cited from the Book of <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> Mr. <HI>Forbs</HI> in his <HI>In&s;tr. Hi&s;tor. Theolog.</HI>
<PB N="224" REF="119"> makes mention of a very me|morable Story of a pious and learned man that dyed &s;uddain|ly in his Study; and when &s;ome were &s;candalized at it, ra&s;hly interpreting this Providence as a Te&s;timony of Gods di&s;plea|&s;ure again&s;t him; it &s;o fell out by the wi&s;e and Gracious or|dering of God (for their Con|viction and a te&s;timony to his &s;ervant) that he was found &s;itting with a Book open before him, and his finger pointed to the&s;e words, <HI>Ju&s;tus qu&acirc;cunque morte preoccupatus fuerit, in refrigerio erit.</HI> i. e. <HI>By what Death &s;oever the Righteous man is prevented, he &s;hall be in re&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 17. The&s;e things may &s;uf|fice as to my pre&s;ent de&s;ign; And therefore I will clo&s;e all, with the Addition of but one Story more, which for the re|markable
<PB N="225" REF="119"> circum&s;tances of it, may be neither unprofitable nor ungrateful to tho&s;e Readers which have not acce&s;s to it in the Latin tongue, for who&s;e accommodation and &s;ervice the whole of this little Tract is in|tended. The Story I intend, is related by the excellent Dr. <HI>Rivet,</HI> in an Epi&s;tle written not long before his Death to his Brother, <HI>De bon&acirc; Senectute: Of a good Old Age:</HI> And it is this:</P>
<P><HI>Jacobus Faber</HI> a great re&s;to|rer both of Polite Learning and Religion in <HI>France,</HI> being a mo&s;t Faithful and eminent Mi|ni&s;ter of the Go&s;pel there, did in a time of very hot Per&s;e|cution Flye with others; and for his &s;ecurity retired to <HI>Al|bret</HI> in <HI>Ga&s;coign</HI> to the Queen of <HI>Navarre,</HI> a zealous Profe&s;|&s;or and Protectre&s;s of the Re|formed
<PB N="226" REF="120"> Religion, with whom he was in Great e&s;teem: On a certain day the Queen did ad|verti&s;e him, That &s;he purpo&s;ed to come and dine at his Hou&s;e; and in order thereto invited &s;ome Learned men with who&s;e Con|ference &s;he was much plea&s;ed, to accompany her there. While they were at Dinner, <HI>Faber</HI> be|gan to be exceeding &s;ad, and now and then to break out in|to tears. At which the Queen complained, and de&s;ired him to tell the cau&s;e of &s;uch heavine&s;s, when &s;he was come to dine and be merry with him: At la&s;t he an&s;wered,</P>
<P><Q>And how can I (mo&s;t Se|rene Queen) be chearful my &s;elf, or make others chearful, who am the mo&s;t wicked man that the Earth bears.</Q></P>
<P><HI>And what wickedne&s;s &s;o great</HI> (&s;aith &s;he) <HI>can you be guilty of,</HI>
<PB N="227" REF="120"> <HI>who from your Youth have been e&s;teemed to lead &s;o holy a Life.</HI></P>
<P><Q>I am (&s;aid he) now of the age of an hundred and one years, and am free from the touch of any Woman in all this time; neither do I re|member ought that burthens my Con&s;cience, or &s;hould make me afraid to leave the World, except one &s;in, which I believe too is pardonable.</Q></P>
<P>And when &s;he pre&s;&s;ed him to declare what it was, he could not &s;peak a while for the abun|dance of tears; but at length &s;aid:</P>
<P><Q>How can I &s;tand before the Tribunal of God, who have purely and &s;incerely taught many the Holy Go|&s;pel of the Son of God, who following my Doctrine have con&s;tantly endured a thou|&s;and torments, and death it
<PB N="228" REF="121"> &s;elf; when I my &s;elf an un|con&s;tant Teacher, did flee? and tho' I had lived long enough, and &s;hould not have feared Death, but rather co|veted it, yet I withdrew my &s;elf, and cowardly tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ed the Command of my God.</Q></P>
<P>Whereupon the Queen (as &s;he was very eloquent, and full of Divine Sayings) di&s;cour&s;|ed largely to him, and did by many Examples &s;hew, that the &s;ame thing had happen|ed to many Good and Holy men who were now in the Kingdom of God; and there|fore he ought not in any wi&s;e to de&s;pair of the Goodne&s;s and Mercy of God towards him. And many things to the &s;ame purpo&s;e were added by others pre&s;ent.</P>
<P>Upon which he was com|forted,
<PB N="229" REF="121"> and became chearful again; but &s;aid,</P>
<P><Q>Now therefore nothing re|mains, but that I go from hence to God, as &s;oon as I have made my Will; I have that Impre&s;sion, that I mu&s;t deferre no longer, for I per|ceive God calls me.</Q></P>
<P>Then fixing his eyes on the Queen; <Q>Madam (&s;aid he) I appoint you my Heir; and to your Preacher Mr. <HI>Gerard</HI> I bequeath all my Books; my Cloaths, and what&s;oever el&s;e I have, I give to the Poor. Other things I com|mend to God.</Q></P>
<P>At this the Queen &s;miling, asked, <Q><HI>What then &s;hall I have</HI> James <HI>out of the Inheritance?</HI> The care (&s;aid he) of di&s;tri|buting this to the Poor.</Q></P>
<PB N="230" REF="122">
<P> <HI>It is well,</HI> (&s;aid &s;he) <HI>I &s;olemn|ly profe&s;s, this Legacy is more acceptable to me, than if the King of</HI> France <HI>my Brother had named me his Heir.</HI></P>
<P>After this his Countenance was chearfull; and he &s;aid; <Q>O Queen, I have need of &s;ome Re&s;t; Be ye chearful, and in the mean time <HI>Fare|wel.</HI> </Q>So he left them at Table, and laid him down upon a Bed that was near, where as they thought, he lay &s;leeping, but was indeed fallen a&s;leep in the Lord, without the lea&s;t &s;ign of any previous di|&s;temper; for when they went to awake him they found him dead, to their great admira|tion. Such was the end of this Holy man; which as <HI>Ri|vet</HI> ob&s;erves, leaves to us an
<PB N="231" REF="122"> Example of the Mercy of God <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o this his Servant, in awaken|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ng &s;uch a Gracious &s;ence of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">is former weakne&s;s in him, and applying his Pardoning Grace in Chri&s;t to him be|fore he was called hence; and al&s;o a &s;erious Warning unto all, to get their Accounts for another World cleared before they come to dye; That be|ing well a&s;&s;ured of the Fa|vour of God in Chri&s;t, and of the Soundne&s;s of their Faith and Repentance, they may ex|pect their Change in Peace: Con&s;cience is a tender thing, and what we count but &s;mall while we live, may make a Dying-bed very unea&s;ie to us; And therefore as we tender our own Peace and Comfort when we come to Dye, it mo&s;t nearly concerns us to
<PB N="232" REF="123"> be Serious while we Live, and as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>To walk circum&s;pectly, not as Fools,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 5. 15, 16.</NOTE> <HI>but as Wi&s;e; Redeeming the Time, becau&s;e the Dayes are evil.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB REF="123">
<HEAD><HI>Books Printed for and Sold by</HI> Benjamin Al&s;op <HI>at the An|gel and Bible in the</HI> Poul|trey.</HEAD>
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<P>Some Di&s;cour&s;es, Sermons and Remains of the Reverend Mr. <HI>Jo&s;. Glanvile,</HI> late Rector of <HI>Bath,</HI> and Chaplain in ordinary to his Maje&s;ty. <HI>Quar.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Melius Inquirendum; in</HI> Oct: <HI>&V;trum Horum,</HI> or the thirty nine Articles of the Church of <HI>England</HI> at large recited, and compared with the Doctrines
<PB N="210" REF="124"> of tho&s;e commonly called <HI>Pre&s;|byterian</HI> on the one &s;ide, and the Tenets of the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> on the other: by <HI>Henry Care: Octavo.</HI></P>
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<P>Divine Meditations, with a daily directory: by Sir <HI>William Waller: Octa.</HI></P>
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<P>The Glory of Free-grace di&s;|played: by <HI>Stephen Lobb: Oct.</HI></P>
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<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Stitcht Books in Quarto.</HEAD>
<P>The mi&s;chief of Impo&s;itions, being an An&s;wer to Dr. <HI>Stil|lingfleets</HI> Sermon of Seperati|on.</P>
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<P>An Argument for Tollera|tion; by a Countrey Gentle|man.</P>
<P>The Hi&s;tory of the <HI>Pari&s;ian</HI> Ma&s;&s;acre.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
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