The Lives of Sundry Eminent Persons, Part 1 · Biography 9

The Lives of Sundry Eminent Persons · Part 1 · Biography 9

p. 60The Life and Death of Mr. John Janeway, who died Anno Christi, 1657.

JOhn Janeway was born at Lylly, in the County of Hertford, October 27. Anno Christi His Birth & Parentage.1633. of Religious Parents, to whom he gave early Hopes of much Comfort, and the Symptomes of somthing more than ordinary, quickly appeared in him, insomuch as some that saw him in his Childhood, much feared that he would not live long: But others thought, that God had somthing more than Ordinary to do for, or by this Child before he died; And he soon made it to appear that neither of them were much mistaken in their Judgments.

When he first set forward he soon outran his Superiours for age in Learning: And some His ripe Parts.that were no incompetent Judges, thought, that for pregnancy of Wit, solidity of Judgment, vastness of Intellectuals, and firmness of Memory, he had no Superiours, and few equals, considering his Age, and means of Education.

He was first initiated in the Latine Tongue by his own Father, and then sent for His Education.some time to St. Pauls School in London, under the Inspection and Tuition of famous and industrious Mr. Langley, where he made a considerable progress in the Latine and Greek Languages; and when he was about Eleven Years old, he took a great fancy to the Study of Arithmetick, and of the Hebrew Tongue.

p. 61About this time his Parents removing into a Village called Aspoden, met with an opportunity He studies the Mathematicks.of having this their Son to be farther instructed by a Learned Neighbour, who was pleased to esteem it a pleasant Diversion to read the Mathematicks to him, being now about Twelve years Old. And he made so rare a progress in these profound Studies, that he was able to read Oughtred with understanding before he was Thirteen years Old.

A Person of quality hearing of the admirable proficiency of this young Youth, sent for His Proficiency.him up to London, and kept him in his House for some time to read the Mathematicks to him: And that which made him the more to be admired, was, that what he did, he did it with such great Facility. He had also no small skill in Musick, and in other concomitants of the Mathematicks.

Anno Christi 1646. he was, by that Learned Gentleman Mr. Francis Rous, Provost of He is chosen at Eaton.Eaton Colledge, chosen for one of the Foundation of that School, having been first examined by the Provost and Posers in the Hebrew Tongue, which was beyond president. There he gave no unsuitable returns to those high expectations which were conceived of him.

After a little continuance at Eaton, he obtained leave of his Master to go to Oxford for the perfecting of his studies in the Mathematicks, where he was owned by that great Schollar His rare Progress.Dr. Ward, one of the Professors of that University, under whom he attained to a strange exactness in those Studies, their being nothing in them within humane reach, which he would not compass. This Great and Learned Dr. gave him great encouragements and helps, and looked upon him as one of the Wonders of that Age, loved him dearly, and for some time after his Death, could scarce mention his Name without Tears.

Having spent about a Quarter of a year with Dr. Ward, he was sent for back to Eaton, where he soon gave proof of his great improvement of that short time of his absence. For he made an Almanack, and therein Calculated the Eclipses for many years before-hand: So that, by this time he had many Eyes upon him as the Glory of that School: and that which put an Accent upon his Real worth, was, that in all this he did not discover the least Affectation, or self-conceitedness, neither did any discernable Pride appear in these Excellencies; So His Humility.that many others took more notice of his pregnant Parts than himself did.

When he was about seventeen years old he was chosen into Kings-Colledge in Cambridge, He is chosen to Kings-Colledge.at which time the Electors did each of them even contend for the Patronage of this Scholar. He was chosen the First for that year, and an elder Brother which he had for the sixth Place: But he was very willing to change places with his Elder Brother, suffering him to have the First, and himself thankfully to accept of the Sixth Place.

Besides his great Learning, he was endowed with many other Ornaments of nature. His His Moral Virtues.deportment candid and amiable: His demeanour courteous and obliging, and that even before his apparent Conversion, so that many who had little kindness for Morality, and less for Grace, yet could not but speak well of him. His great Prudence and Learning did even command respect where they did not find it. He had very much power over his Passions, and was in a great measure free from those Vices which commonly attend such an age and Place.

Yet probably all this while he understood little of the necessity and worth of Christ, and the pretiousness of his own Soul. He had indeed studied the Heavens, and knew the Motions of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, but that was his Contemplation. He thought yet but little of God, who made all these rare Luminaries. He pried but little into the motions, and turnings of his own deceitful Heart.

He did not as yet much busie himself in the serious observation of the wandrings of his His Conversion.Spirit. The Creature had not yet led him to the Creator; But he was still too ready to be taken up with meer speculation. Yet God, who from all Eternity, had chosen him to be one of those who should shine as the Sun in the Firmament for ever with himself in Glory, did (when he was about eighteen years old) shine in upon his Soul with power, convincing him, and letting him see what a poor thing it was to know so much of the Heavens, and yet never to come there: And that the greatest knowledge in the World without Christ, was but an empty dry Business.

He now thought that Mr. Robert Bolton had good reason for it when he said, Give me the most Magnificent glorious Worldling that ever trod upon earthly mould, richly Crowned with all the Ornaments and Excellencies of Nature, Art, Policy, and Preferments; Or what Heart can wish besides: yet, without the Life of Grace to animate and ennoble them, he were to the Eye of Heavenly Wisdom, but as a rotten Carkass, stuck over with Flowers: Magnified Dung: Guilded Rottenness; And Golden Damnation. He now began to be of Anaxagoras's mind, That his work on Earth was to study Heaven, and to get thither: And that except a man might be admitted to greater preferments then this World can bestow upon her Favourites, it were scarce worth the while to be born.

p. 62The great and Divine work of Conversion was not carried on in his Soul after that The manner and means of his Conversion.dreadful manner as it is upon some, who precedently have been very bad (as in the case of Mr. Rob. Bolton) or to whom God intends to communicate much, and to make great use of (as in the case of St. Paul) but the Lord was pleased, by gentle Draughts to dissolve the Stone, and sweetly to unlock his Heart by the exemplary Life, and Heavenly and powerful discourse of a young Man in the Colledge, whose Heart God had inflamed with a Love to this pretious Soul, whereupon he took the first opportunity to set upon this hopeful Plant, and Gods Spirit did so set home his wholsom instructions and counsel, with such evidence and power, that they proved effectual for his awakening out of his Spiritual Lethargy. The rather, being accompanied with the profitable, and powerful Preaching of those two able and worthy Divines, Dr. Arrowsmith, and Dr. Hill, together with his reading several Parts of Mr. Baxters Everlasting Rest.

Now a strange alteration might easily be discerned in the Man: He now looked quite another way to what he had done formerly. He was now so much taken up with things above His strange Change.the Moon and Stars, that he had little leisure, and less pleasure to think of those things, except it was as they pointed higher. He now began not to tast so much sweetness in those kind of studies which formerly he took so much pleasure & delight in. He now beganto pity them who were curious in their enquiries after every thing save that which was most needful to be known, Christ and Themselves: And that which sometimes he esteemed his Gain, he now counted loss for Christ; Yea doubtless he esteemed all things but as Dung and Dross in comparison of Christ: And d…sired to know nothing but Christ and him Crucified. Not that he looked upon humane Learning as useless: But when fixed upon any thing below Christ, and not improved for Christ, he then looked upon Wisdom but as Folly, and upon learning as madness, and as that which would make one more like unto the Devil; and more fit for his Service, and as upon that which would put a greater Accent upon their misery in another World.

Now Mr. Janeway began to cast about how he might best improve what he did already His activity for Christ.know, and to turn all his Studies into the right Channel: Grace did not take him off from, but made him more diligent and spiritual in, his Studies: And now Christ was at the end and bottom of every thing. O how did he plot and contrive how he might most express his Love and Thankfulness to him who had brought him out of darkness into his marvellous Light, and translated him into the Kingdom of his dear Son! To this end he sent up and down Packets of Divine Letters, in which he did discourse so substantially and experimentally of the great things of God that it would not at all have unbecome a Gray-Head to have owned what he wrote.

He was very like unto young Elihu, in whose words he used to excuse his freedom with Persons of Gravity whose Souls he did deeply commiserate. He said, Days should speak, and His Zeal.multitude of years should teach Wisdom: But their is a Spirit in Man, and the Inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding: I am full of matter; The Spirit within me convinceth me: Behold! My Belly is as Wine which hath no vent; It is ready to burst as new Bottles: I will speak that I may be refreshed, &c. O then how sweet was the Savour of his Graces! How could he not but speak the things which he had seen and heard? And even invite all the World to tast and see how good the Lord was.

He began first with his near and dear Relations, wooing and begging of them to mind His Love to his Friends Souls.their pretious and immortal Souls, and speedily to lay in Provisions for a Death-Bed, and Eternity. O with what compassion did he plead the cause of Christ with their Souls!

What Pathetical expressions did he use? What vehement Expostulations? How frequent? How particular were his Applications unto them? O, with what Gravity, and Majesty would he speak of the Mysteries of the Gospel!

Read what his Language was (when he was between eighteen and nineteen years old) in a Letter to an Antient Minister, neerly related to him, who at that time walked very heavily.

Reverend Sir,

THere are two things, the want of which I have had experience of in your Family, tho not in every degree, yet in that intenseness of Degree, wherein they ought to be; which His Letter to his Father.are, The real power of godliness and Religion: And then that which is the fruit of the former, That chearfulness, delight, spiritual Joy, and serenity of mind which is to be had in Religion and no where else: And that, not in Religion in its weakest Degrees, but in a real vigour, power, and life, and in a more close, constant walking with God, from a tender sense of the worth of Souls, especially those of your Family. And knowing the Duty which my Relation to p. 63it doth lay upon me, and having confidence of their well acceptance of it, I have undertaken to open my Thoughts unto them.

In most Families in England, I fear, their is neither the form nor the power of Godliness; where there is no fear of God: No regard of him, no acting under him, or in reference to him: These are (in mine opinion) twice Dead, nay not so much as having the Dead Carkass of Religion. Objects of pity they are; And O how few are there that spend one compassionate Thought upon them?

Others there are who some way or other, it may be from Tradition, from good Parents, It may be from knowing the fashion of those in their Rank; It may be from the frequent inculcating of good Instructions from Christian Friends, or Godly Ministers; Or some stragling eruptions of Conscience, have gotten the outward Husk, and Shell of Religion, without any Kernel or solidity at all. And this Generation doth usually trust to this their Religion, that it will bring them to a place like a sleeping Place in Heaven or keep them out of Hell, though they live without God in the World. These are poor Creatures too, making hast to their own destruction and know it not; yea, thinking that they are in afair way for Heaven.

O that there were never a Family to which we are related, which gave too sad cause of fear, that it were in such a case or neer such a case as this is. A 3d sort of People there are) and but few of these neither) which have the reality of Religion, but yet in much weakness, coldness, faintness, dimness, and intermissions; like Nilus's Brood, above half mud still; beginning to have some life in their Head, a little in their Heart, but the Feet of their Affections and Actions have little o… no motion. And where shall we find a Christian that is got higher than this? Yea, that doth in good earnest strive to get higher: Now there are higher attainments to be reached after. There is a having our Conversation in Heaven while we are upon Earth: Neither doth this consist in some weak discourses about God, Heaven, and the things of Religion: It consists not in meer praying twice a Day, and in keeping the Sabbath in a usual manner in its order: it consists not in a few Thoughts of Religious Objects, coming into the Mind in a common way, and as easily lost as got. But true Religion raises the Soul to longings, hungrings, and thirstings, not without some enjoyments. Religion in power is to act for God with strength, vigour, earnestness, intenseness, delight, chearfulness, serenity, and calmness of Mind. The Fruits of the Spirit are Joy in the Holy Ghost, and Peace. Fear, disquiet, and terrors are usually the Introduction to a bette? state, but they are not of the Essentials of Religion: Yea, the contrary frame of Spirit is to be striven for.

To speak yet more plainly, and to tell you (Honoured Sir) what fears and what jealousies are, with Reverence to your self, and tender affection to all your Family, I fear that you your self are subject to too many desponding melancholly Thoughts: The Causes whereof give me leave with submission to guess at: The first, I think, may be your reflecting upon your entring upon the Ministry without that reverence, care, and holy zeal for God, Love to Christ, and compassion to Souls, which is required of every one that undertakes that Holy Office. It may be there was rather a respect to your own living in the World, then of living unto God in the World: Be it thus; Be it not so bad, or be it worse: The remedy is the same. These have a wounding power in them which will be felt to be grievous, when felt as they are in themselves: But continual sorrow and sad Thoughts do keep this wound open too long, and are not available to the having of it cured. Wounds indeed must be first opened that they may be cleansed; They must be opened that their filth may be discovered in reference to a purging and healing; But no longer than till the Balm of Gilead is to be applied, that they may be healed: And when Christ is made use of aright, he leaveth Joy and Comfort; yet a constant Humility of Spirit is no way inconsistent with this Peace of God.

A second cause of your heaviness may be, a sense of the state of the People which God hath committed to you: And indeed who can but mourn over People in such a condition; Objects of pity they are, and the more, because they pity not themselves: I have often wrestled with God that he would direct you in what is your Duty concerning them, which I persuade my self is your earnest request. Now after your serious examining your self what your Conscience doth conclude to be your Duty, you do it, and see you do it, you are then to rest upon God for his effectual working. Let not any think to be more merciful then God; For wherein he doth he goes beyond his Bounds: And this is no more cause of heaviness to you, than the Opposition which the Apostles found at any time, was; who notwithstanding rejoyced in Tribulations.

An other cause of heaviness may be what divisions are between your self, and some of your Relations. O that a Spirit of meekness and wisdom might remove all cause of sorrow for that. But were the power of Godliness more in Hearts and Families; all the causes of such trouble wouldsoon be removed: There would be less that would deserve Reprehension, and there would be a fittedness of Spirit to give and bear Reproof: To give in meekness and tenderness, and to bear in Humility, Patience, and Thankfulness.

p. 64Some Cares and Thoughts you may have concerning your Family when you are gone: But let Faith and fomer Experiences teach you to drive away all such Thoughts. Your constitution and solitariness may also be some cause of Melancholly; But there is a Duty, which if it were exercised would dispel all, which is Heavenly Meditation, and Contemplation of the things which true Christian Religion tends to. If we did walk closely with God, but one hour in a Day in this Duty, O what influence would it have into the whole Day besides, and if duly performed, into the whole Life. This Duty with the usefulness, manner, and direction, &c. I knew in some measure before, but had it more pressed upon me by Mr. Baxters Saints Everlasting Rest, that can scarce be over-valued; for which I have cause for ever to bless God: As for your dear Wife, I fear the cares and troubles of the World take off her mind too much from walking with God so closely as she ought to do, and from that earnest endeavour after higher degrees of Grace. I commend God unto her, and unto all, this excellent Duty of Meditation. 'Tis a bitter sweet Duty: Bitter unto corrupt Nature, but sweet to the regenerate part if performed aright. I intreat her and your self? Yea, I charge it upon you with humility and tenderness, that God have at least half an hour allowed him in a Day for this Exercise. O this most precious Soul-raising, Soul-ravishing, Soul-perfecting Duty! Take this from your dear Friend as spoken with reverence, and real love and faithfulness. My fear and jealously lest I should speak in vain, maketh me say again, I, or God by me doth charge this upon you.

One more direction let me give; That none in your Family satisfy themselves in Family Prayer: But let everyone twice a Day (if it may be possible) draw near to God in secret Duty. Here secret wants may be laid open: Here great Mercies may be begged with great earnestness: Here, what wandrings and coldness was in a Family Duty, may be repented of and amended. This is the way to get seriousness, reality, sincerity, and cheerfulness in Religion; And thus the Joy of the Lord may be your strength. Let those which know their Duty do it: If any think it not a necessary Duty, let them fear lest they loose the most excellent help for a Holy, Useful, Joyful Life, under the assistance of Gods Spirit, whil'st they neglect that which they think unnecessary.

Take some of these directions from sincere affection; some from mine own experience; And all from a real and compassionate desire of your Joy and Comfort. The Lord teach you in this, and in the rest. I intreat you never to rest labouring till you have attained to true spiritual Joy and Peace in the Lord, the God of Peace give you his direction, and the foretasts of his comforts in this Life, and perfection in Eternal Life, in the enjoying of infinite holiness, purity, and excellency through Christ. Thus praying I rest.

In another Letter to a Reverend Friend that had the care of many Children, he thus adviseth.

Sir,

YOur Charge is great upon a Temporal account, but greater upon a Spiritual, many Souls being Another Letter.committed to your Charge. Out of an earnest desire of the good of Souls, and your own Joy and Peace, I importunately request that you would have a great care of your Children, and be often dropping in some wholsome admonition; And this I humbly, with submission to your Judgment in it, commend to you; Not to admonish them alwayes altogether, but likewise privately one by one, not letting the rest to know of it; wherein you may please to press upon them their natural corruption, their necessity of Regeneration, the excellency of Christ, and how unspeakably lovely it is to see young ones setting out for Heaven. This way, I think, may do most good, having had experience of it my self in some small measure. God grant that all may work for the edifying of those which are committed to you. I leave you under the Protection of him who hath loved us, and given himself for us, &c.

When he was about Twenty years old, he was made Fellow of the Colledge, which His love to Souls.did not a little advance those noble Projects which he had in his Head, for the promoting of the interest of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now how sweetly would he insinuate into the young ones, desiring to carry as many of them as possibly he could along with himself unto Heaven. Many attempts he made upon some in the same House, that he might season them with Grace, and animate and encourage those which were looking towards Heaven. And as for his own Relations, never was their a more compassionate and tender-hearted Brother. To his Relations.How many Pathetical Letters did he send to them! And how did he follow them with Prayers and Tears, that they might prove successful! How frequently would he address himself to them in private! And how ready to improve Providences, and visits that he might set them home upon them! How excellently would he set forth the Beauty of p. 65Christ! How earnestly would he perswade them to enquire into the state of their Souls! How would he endeavour to bring them off from Sandy Foundations, and resting upon their own Righteousness! In a word, He was scarce content to go to His successes therein.Heaven without them; and through Mercy, he was very successful among his own Relations, and the whole Family soon savoured of his Spirit. Now were the Children put upon getting by Heart choice Scriptures, and Catechisms, and engaged in secret Prayer and Meditation. Father, Mother, Brethren, Sisters, Boarders were the better for his excellent Example, and Holy Exhortations.

He was a good Nurse, if not a Spiritual Father to his Natural Father: And some of his Brethren have cause to bless God for ever, that ever they saw his Face, and heard his Words, and observed his Conversation, which had so much of loveliness and beauty in it, that it could not but commend Religion to any that took notice of it. He could speak in St. Paul's words: Brethren, My Hearts desire and Prayer to God for you all, is, that you may be saved. Read what his Heart was in these Words.

Distance of place (said he) cannot at all lessen that Natural Bond whereby we are His Letter to his Brethren.conjoyned in Blood, neither ought it to lessen that of Love: Nay, where true Love is, it cannot. For Love towards you I can only say this, That I feel it better then I can express it; as it uses to be with all affections. But Love felt and not expressed, is little worth. I therefore desire to make my Love manifest in the best way I can. Let us look upon one another, not as Brethren only, but as Members of the same Body whereof Christ is the Head. Happy Day will that be where in the Lord will discover that Ʋnion! Let us therefore, Breath and Hunger after this, so that our closest Knot may meet in Christ. If we are in Christ, and Christ in us there we shall be one with another. This I know, that you cannot complain for want of Instruction: God hath not been to us a dry Wilderness, or a barren Heath. You have had Line upon Line, and Precept upon Precept. He hath planted you by the Rivers of Waters: It is indeed the Lord alone who maketh fruitful, but yet we are not to stand still and to do nothing. There is a Crown worth seeking for: Seek therefore and that earnestly, O seek by continual Prayer! Keep your Souls in a praying frame; This is a great and necessary Duty; nay, an high and precious Priviledg. If thou canst say nothing, come and lay themselves in an humble manner before the Lord. You may believe me; For I have (through Mercy) experienced what I say: There is more sweetness to be got in one glimps of God's Love, then in all that the World can afford. O do but try! O taste and see how good the Lord is.

Get into a corner and throw your self down before the Lord, and beg of God to make you sensible of your loss, undone state by Nature, and of the excellency and necessity of Christ. Say, Lord give me a broken a Heart, soften, melt me: Any thing in the World so I may be but inabled to value Christ, and be perswaded to accept of him as he is tendred in the Gospel. O that I may be delivered from the wrath to come! O, a Blessing for me, even for me; and resolve not to be content till the Lord hath in some measure satisfied you. O my Bowels yern towards you: My Heart works. O that you did but know with what affections I now write to you, and what Prayers and Tears have been mingled with these Lines! The Lord set these things home, and give you true Heart to apply them to your self! The Lord bless all means that you do enjoy, for his Blessing is all in all. Give me leave to deal plainly, and to come yet a little closer to you: For I love your Souls so well, that I cannot bear the Thoughts of the loss of them. Know this that there is such a thing as the New Birth, and except a Man be Born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: God's favour is not to be recovered without it. This New Birth hath it's Foundation laid in a sense of sin, and in a godly Sorrow for it, and an Heart set against it: Without this there can be no Salvation.

Look well about you, and see into your selves: and you will see that you are in Hells Mouth without this first step, and nothing but free Grace, and pure Mercy, is between you and the state of the Devils. The Lord deliver us from a secure careless Heart. Hear you see a natural Mans condition? How dare you then lye down in security. O look for your Soul's sake! What shall I say? What shall I do for your poor Soul? I say again, without Repentance there is no Remission; and Repentance it self may loose its labour if it be not in the right manner. So then Prayers, and Tears, and Groans will not do without Christ. Most, when they are convinced of Sin, and are under fears of Hell, run to Duty, and reform somethings, and thus the wound is healed, and by this Thousand fall short of Heaven. For if we be not brougbt off from our selves, and our Righteousness as well as from our Sins, we are never like to be saved. We must see unabsolute need of a Christ, and give our selves up to him, and count all but Dung and Dross in comparison of Cbrist's Righteousness. Look therefore for Mercy only in Christ, For his sake rely upon Gods Mercy.

p. 66The tearms of the Gospel are Repent and Believe: Gracious tearms! Mercy for fetching: Nay, mercy for desiring; Nay, for nothing but receiving. Do you desire Mercy and Grace? I know that you do, even this is the Gift of God to desire: Hunger after Christ: Let desires put you upon endeavours; The work it self is sweet. Yea, Repentance, and mourning it self hath more sweetness in it then all the Worlds Comforts. Upon Repentance and Believing comes Justification; After this Sanctification by the Spirit dwelling in us. By this we come to be the Children of God: To be made partakers of the Divine Nature: To lead new lives: To have a sutableness to God. 'Tis unworthy of a Christian to have such a narrow Spirit as not to act for Christ with all the Heart, and Soul, and Strength, and might. Be not ashamed of Christ; Be not afraid of the srowns and jeers of the Wicked. Be sure to keep a Conscience void of offence; and yield by no means to any known Sin: Be much in Prayer, in secret Prayer, and in reading the Scriptures; Therein are laid up the glorious Mysteries which are hid from many Eyes. My greatest desire is, that God would work his own work in you: I desire to see you, not as formerly, but that the Lord would make me an instrument of your Souls good for which I greatly long.

Many such Letters he wrote to his Brethren, and took all opportunities of visiting His Prudence.them, at which times he addressed himself particularly to each of them, that he might see what became of his Letters, Prayers and Tears, and he was very watchful over them, ready to reprove and convince them of Sin, and as ready to encourage any beginnings of a good work in them.

Once perceiving that one of his Brothers slept at Family Prayer, he presently took occasion His reproof of one of them.to shew him what an high contempt of God it was: What a little sense such an one must needs have of his own danger: What dreadful Hypocrisy: What a miracle of Patience that he was not awaked in Hell Flames. And when he had been a while pleading with him affectionately, it pleased the Lord to strike in with some power, and to melt and soften his Brothers Heart, being about eleven years old, so that it was to be hoped that then the Lord began savingly to work upon the Heart of the Child: For from thence forward The success.a considerable alteration might be discerned in him, wherewith he was not a little pleased; and shortly after he took an opportunity to write to him, to mind him of what God had done for his Soul: Begging of him not to rest satisfied till he knew what a thorow change and effectual calling meant. I hope (said he) that God hath a good work to do in you, for you, and by you: Yea, I hope he hath already begun it. But O, take not up with some beginnings, faint desires, lazy seekings. O remember your former Tears! One may weep a little for sin, and yet go to Hell for Sin. Many that are under some such work, shake off the sense of Sin, murther their Convictions, and return again to folly! O take heed! If any draw back, the Lord will take no pleasure in them: But I hope better things of you, &c.

His Manner also was to observe how his Brethren behaved themselves after Duty: Whether His Diligence over them.they seemed presently to run after the world greedily, as if Duty were a task, or whether there seemed to be an abiding impression of God, and the things of God upon them.

How great his Love and compassion to Souls was, may appear by these expressions used to one of his Relations: Having shewed how infinitely below a Christian it was, greedily His Love to Souls.to pursue the things which will be but as Gravel in the Teeth, if we mind not the rich Provision which is in our Fathers House: O what folly (said he) is it to trisle in the things of God! But I hope better things of you. Did I not hope, why should I not mourn in secret for you, as one cast out among the Dead? O what should I do for you, but pour out my Soul like Water! and give my God no rest till he should graciously visit you with his Salvation: Till he cast you down and raise you up: Till he wound you and heal you again.

Thus partly with his Holy Example, partly with his Wise and warm Exhortations, joyned with Prayers, Tears, and secret Groans, somewhat of the beauty of Religion was to be seen in the Family where he lived.

He was mighty in Prayer, and his Soul was oft-times so transported in it, that he forgot His delight in Prayer.his own and others weakness. Indeed the acquaintance he had with God was so sweet, and his converse with him so frequent, that when he was engaged in this Duty, he scarce knew how to leave that which was so delightful unto him. His constant course for some years was to pray at least three times a Day in secret, sometimes seven, and twice a Day in the Colledge or Family; and he found the comfort of it beyond imagination, enjoyed wonderful Communion with God in it, and tasted the pleasantness of an Heavenly Life; So that he could experimentally say, That the ways of Wisdom were ways of pleasantness, and all her Paths Peace. In his Prayers he wrestled with God, and would scarce come off of his Knees without his Fathers Blessing. He conversed with God with an holy and humble familiarity as with a Friend, and upon all occasions would run unto him for advice, and found wonderful success, and oft immediate returns to his Prayers. Take one instance for all.

p. 67His Honoured Father, Mr. William Janeway, Minister of Kelshall in Hertfordshire, being sick, and under somewhat dark apprehensions as to the estate of his Soul, he would often say to his Son John: O Son! This passing into Eternity is a great thing: This Dying is a solemn business, and enough to make any ones Heart to ake, that hath not his Pardon sealed, and his Evidences for Heaven clear. And truly (Son) I am under no small fears as to my own estate for another World. O that God would clear his Love! O that I could say cheerfully, I can dye, and be able upon good grounds to look Death in the Face, and adventure upon Eternity with well grounded Peace and Comfort!

His Son made a sutable Reply for the present; but seing his dear Father still to abide under despondencies (though all Christians that knew him highly esteemed him for his Uprightness) he went apart and spent some time in wrestling with God for his Father, earnestly begging of God, that he would sill him with Joy unspeakable in believing, and that he would speedily give him some token for good, that he might joyfully and honourably leave this World to go to a better. Being risen from his Knees he came down to his sick Father asking him how he felt himself? His Father made no answer for the present, but wept exceedingly, continuing for some considerable time in that Passion, so that he was not able to speak: But after a while, having recovered himself, with unspeakable Joy he burst forth into such Expressions as these. O Son! Now it is come! Now it is come! Now it is come! I bless God I can die: The Spirit of God hath witnessed with my Spirit, that I am his Child, Now I can look up to God as my dear Father, and to Christ as my Redeemer: I can now say, This is my Friend; This is my Beloved. My Heart is full, it is brim full, I can hold no more

I know now what that Sentence means, The Peace of God which passeth Understanding. I know now what that White Stone is, wherein a new Name is written, which none know but they which have it: And that fit of weeping which you saw me in, was a fit of everpowering Love and Joy, so great, that I could not for my heart contain my self, neither can I express what glorious discoveries God hath made of himself unto me. And had that Joy been greater, I question whether I could have born it, and whether it would not have separated Soul and Body. Bless the Lord O my Soul, and all that is within me bless his holy Name, that hath pardoned all my Sins, and Sealed the Pardon. He hath healed my Wounds, and caused the Bones which he had broken to rejoice. O help me to bless the Lord! He hath put a new Song into my Mouth. O bless the Lord for his infinite goodness, and rich Mercy! O now I can Die! It is nothing. I bless God I can die. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ.

You may well think that his Sons Heart was not a little refreshed to hear such words, and to see such a sight, and to meet the Messenger that he had sent to Heaven returned back again so speedily. He counted himself a sharer with his Father in this Mercy, and it was welcome upon a double account. 1. As it did so wonderfully satisfy his Father. 2. Asit was so immediate and clear an Answer of his Prayers; As if God from Heaven had said unto him, thy Prayers and Tears for thy Father are heard: Thou like a Prince hast prevaildid with God: Thou hast got the Blessing thou begedst.

Hereupon young Mr. Janeway break forth into Praises, and even into an extasy of Joy Thanksgiving.that God should deal so Fatherly and familiarly with him; And Father and Son were so full of Joy, light, love, and Praise, that there was a little Heaven in the place. And the young Man thus expressed himself: O Blessed and for ever blessed be God for his infinite Grace! O who would not pray unto God, verily he is a God that heareth Prayers, and that our Souls know right well. And then he told his joyful Father how much he was affected with his former despondings, and what he had been praying for just before, with all the earnestness he could for his Soul, and how the Lord had immediately answered him.

The Father presently after, whil'st his Son stood by, fell into another Extasy of Joy, Joy unspeakable.which his weak Body was ready to sink under: So that he could now say, Now let they Servant depart in Peace, for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation. He could now walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and fear no evil. O how lovely is the sight of a smiling Jesus where one is dying! How refreshing is it, when Heart and Flesh, and all are failing, to have God for the strength of our Heart, and Portion for ever! After this his Reverend Father had a sweet calm upon his Spirit to his last breath, having all his Graces greatly improved, he shewed such humility, love to, and admiring of God, contempt of the World; such prizing of Christ; such Patience as few Christians attain unto: especially his Faith was much strengthened, by which, with extraordinary confidence he cast his Widdow and Eleven Children upon the care of that God who had fed him with this Heavenly Manna in his Wilderness, state and condition.

After the Death of his Father, this young John did what he could to supply his room, exercising the place of an Husband, Son and Brother, so that he was no small comfort to p. 68his afflicted Mother, and to all the rest of his Relations that had any Sense of God upon their Spirits, and to one of them, who had lost a Child, he thus addressed himself:

Daily Observation and every Mans Experience gives sufficient Testimony to it, that Comfort upon the Death of a Child.Afflictions of what kind soever, by how much the seldomer they are, the more grievous they seem. We have a long time sailed in the Rivers of Blessings which God hath plentifully powred out among us: Now if we come where the Waves of Affliction do but a little more then ordinarily arise, we begin to have our Souls almost carried down with fears and griefs; yea, the natural Man, if not counter-powred by the Spirit of God, will be ready to entertain murmuring, and repining Thoughts against God himself: whereas if all our Life had been a Pilgrimage, full of Sorrows and Afflictions (as we deserved) and had but rarely been intermingled with Comforts, we should have been more fitted to bear Afflictions. Thus it is naturally: But we ought to counterwork against the Stream of Nature, by a new Principle wrought in us, an a whatsoever Nature doth err in, Grace is to rectifie, And they upon whom Grace is bestowed, ought to set Grace on work. For wherefore is Grace bestowed unless it should act in us?

It hath pleased the Lord to make a breach in your Family; there where the Knot is fastest tyed, when it is disunited the change becomes greater, and the grief is the more encarged: So that herein you who are most moved, are most to be excused and comforted: The strength of Mothers Affection, I believe, none but Mothers know; and the greatest Affections when they are desturbed, breed the greatest Grief. But when Affliction comes upon us, what will be our Duty? Shall we then give our selves up to be carried away with the grieving Passion? Shall we because of one Affliction cause our Souls to walk in sadness all our Dayes, drive away all the light of Comfort from our Eyes, by causing our Souls to be obscured under the shades of Melancholly? Shall we quarrel with our Maker, and call the Wise, Righteous Judg to our Bar? Doth he not punish us less then we deserve: Is there not Mercy and Truth in all his Dispensations? Shall we by continual Sorrow add Affliction to Affliction, and so become our own Tormentors, &c. And then (after much other good Counsel) he concludes thus: Let us therefore have a care of so much as moving, much more of entertaining any unworthy Thoughts against God. But let us submit willingly unto the Yoak which he is pleased to lay upon us, lest he break us with his terrible Judgments. And now it hath seemed good to God to lay this stroak upon you, I pray you rightly to improve it, and let this tryal prepare you for greater: And seeing the uncertainty of all Worldly things, endeavour with all your might to get your Heart above them; And I beseech the Lord who is the great Physician of Souls, and knows how to apply a Salve to every Soar, to comfort you with his Spiritual Comforts; that he would favourably shine upon you, and receive you into a nearer Ʋnion and Communion with himself: Into his Hands I commit you: with him I leave you, praying that he would make up all in Himself.

He was an excellent Example to his yonger Brethren, and his Prudent Instructions, His usefulness to his Brethren.and Holy Practices did not a little influence them. He was a Wise Counseller, and an Assistant that could not well be spared to his Elder Brother, who was not a little sensible of that Personal worth that was in him, whom he used to preffer before himself, as one whom he judged, God had honoured with far greater Parts, Graces, and Experiences then himself: The younger also did as humbly, and heartily respect and honour him as a serious Christian, Minister, and his Elder Brother, who had obliged him with more then ordinary kindnesses.

When he was but young, he began to be taken notice of by Ancient Ministers and His Modesty, and Humility.Christians, though his Modesty was so great that his vast Parts were much obseured thereby, and his great worth was so balasted with Humility, that he made no great noise in the World, and most were ignorant of his singular worth. A wise Man that was intimately acquainted with him, used to say of him, that he was like unto deep Waters that are most still: A Man he was of hidden Excellency. There were few that knew how close he walked with God, at what and a high rate he lived, and what a great Trade he drave for the Riches of another World. All which he laboured as much as might be to conceal.

His Father being dead, he returned unto Kings Colledge, and was one of a private His return to Cambridge, and imployment there.Society, who began to carry on some notable Projects for God's Glory and the good of Souls, and to design how they might best improve their Gifts and Graces, so as they might be most serviceable unto God, and to their Generation. They used frequently to meet together, to Pray, to communicate their Studies and Experiences, p. 69to handle some Divinity Question in a Scholastick manner, thereby to exercise those Gifts which God had bestowed upon them. Some indeed of this Company degenerated from their first Principles, but others lived to demonstrate unto the World, that what they did, proceeded from a Vital Seed; amongst whom this young Man was none of the least; who also had a Design upon some of the Juniors, to engage them (if possible) unto God before they were ensnared and corrupted by wicked Company, at their first coming to the University, But after a while most of his Dear and intimate Companions were transplanted either into Gentlemens Families, His Industry.or into Livings, and he, being one of the youngest, was, for a while, lest alone in the Colledge: And he now wanting the diversion of these delightful meetings, fell so close to his Studies that he soon gave such a deadly wound to his Bodily constitution, as he could never throughly be cured of, or freed from.

Having thus spent sometime in his hard Studies, it fell out that Dr. Cox sent to the His remore to Dr. Cox.Provest of the Colledge to commend to him a Man of worth that might live in his Family, and be a Tutor to his Son. The Provest hereupon was pleased to commend and sent to him Mr. Jo. Janeway, who was neither a disgrace to him that sent him, nor yet did he frustrate the expectation of him that entertained him. For by his great diligence, profound Learning, and success in his Undertaking, he much obliged the Relations of his Pupil unto him. But here his labour was so great, and his Body so weak, that he could not long bear up under so heavy a burden; insomuch as he was forced to crave leave of the Doctor to try whether the change of the Air might not His Weakness.somewhat contribute to the restoring of his Bodily weakness which now begun sensibly to be in the wain.

During his abode in that Family, his deportment was so sweet and obliging, and his His success there.Conversation so spiritual and Heavenly, that it did not a Little indear his presence and company unto them; so that, doubtless, some of that Family will carry a sweet remembrance of him with them to their Graves; and he often owned the goodness of God to him, in the benefit which he got by the Graces and Experiences of some Christians in, and Relating to that Family, whose tender love to him he gratefully resented when he lay on his Death-bed.

Having left the Doctors House he retired into the Countrey to his Mother and Eldest He retires to his Mother.Brother, who used their utmost diligence and endeavours to recruit and repair the decayes of Nature in him; But hard Study, frequent and fervent Prayers, and intense Meditations had so wounded and ruinated his frail Tabernacle, and Earthly Cottage, that it could not be throughly repaired again: yet, by God's Blessing upon their endeavours, and use of means, it was supported and held up for sometime.

Whilst he was in this declining condition, wherein he could have little hopes of Comfort at Death.Life, he was so far from fearing it, that he received the Sentence of Death in himself with great joy, and wrote to his nearest and dearest Relations to prepare and dispose them to a willing submission, and ready compliance with the will of God, though they should part with him for a while: And that he might wean their Affections from him, he solemnly professed, that as for himself he was ashamed to desire and pray for Life. For (said he) is there here any thing that is more desirable then is the enjoyment of Christ? Can I expect any thing here below, comparable to that blessed Vision! O that Crown! That Rest that remains for the People of God! And (blessed be God,) I can say, It is mine. I know that when this Tabernacle of Clay shall be dissolved, that I have an House not made with Hands; and I therefore groan, not to be uncloathed, but to be cloathed upon with Christ. To me to Live is Christ, and to Die is gain. I can now (through infinite Mercy) speak in the Language of the Apostle: I have sought the good Fight: Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown incorruptible which fades not away.

Perceiving one of his nearest Relatious much troubled at the Thoughts of his Death, he charged him not to pray for his Life, unless it were purely in respect to the Glory of God: I wish (said he) I beg you to keep your Mind in a submiss frame to the Will of God concerning me. The Lord take you nearer to himself that you may walk with him, to whom, if I go before I hope you will follow after. Yet after this, it pleased God Some recovery.that he was finely recovered, and his Friends were not without some hopes that he might recover; and yet be eminently instrumental for God's Glory and the Churches good.

Being in some good measure restored to Health he again returned to his former practice p. 70of engaging with all his might in the secret, & great Duties of Religion: Besides others, he set apart an hour every day for set, and solemn Meditation, which he found to be an excellent Meditation very profitable.means to improve his Graces, and encrease his Comforts. His time for this Duty was usually in the evening, and his manner was to walk into the Fields if the weather would permit. Or if not, then he would retire into the Church, or into some solitary room, where one of his Brothers once hid himself, that he might take more exact notice of the intercourse between God and him, but oh (saith he) what a Spectacle did I there see! A Man walking with God: Humbly conversing with his Maker, and maintaining an holy familiarity His Deportment therein.with the Great Jehovah! Methought I saw one talking with God: Methought I saw a spiritual Merchant in an heavenly Exchange, driving a rich Trade for the Treasures of another world. O what a glorious sight it was! Methinks I see him still; how gloriously did his Face shine! O with what a lovely countenance did he walk up and down, his lips going, his body oft reaching up, as if he would have taken his Flight into Heaven! His looks smiles, and every motion were as if he had been upon the very confines of Glory. Surely he had Meat to cat which the world knew not of? Surely God made him welcome when he brought him into his Banqueting-House. His Heart was fed upon the infinite love of God in Christ to the poor lost Sons, and Daughters of Adam. His words to a dear Friend shewed an extraordinary sense of the freeness, fulness, and duration of that Love: God (said he) holds mine Eyes most upon his Goodness, his unmeasurable Goodness, and upon the Promises which are most sure and firm in Christ: His Love to us is greater, surer, fuller than ours to our selves For when we loved our selves, so as to destroy our selves, he loved us so as to save us.

That he might engage others in more ardent affections to God, he would put words into their mouths. Let us then (said he) behold him till our Hearts desire, till our very Souls are drawn out after him; Till we are brought to acquaintance, intimacy, and delight in him! Say, O that he would love me; O that I might love him! O Blessed are they that know him, and are known of him! It is good for me to draw near to God: O that I was received into converse with him, that I might hear his voice; and see his Countenance! For his voice is sweet, and his Countenance comely. A Day in his Courts is better than a Thousand elsewhere. My Soul longeth, yea, fainteth for the Courts of the Lord: My Heart and my Flesh cryeth out for the living God: O that I might communicate my self to God, and that he would give himself to me! O that I might love him, and be sick of Love; That I might die in Love! That I might loose my self in his Love, as a small drop in the unfathomed depth of his Love! That I might dwell in his Eternal Love!

To a dear Friend that was under some fears as to his Spiritual Estate, he thus wrote: O stand still and wonder: Behold his Love and admire! Now (if never yet, consider what thou canst discover in this pretious Jesus! Canst thou not see so much till thou canst see no more, not because of its shortness, but because of thy darkness? Here is a Sea, fling thy self into it, and thou shalt be compassed with the heigth, & depth, & breadth & length of Love, & be filled with all the fulness of God. Is not this enough? Wouldst thou have more? Fling away all besides God: God is Portion enough, and the only proper Portion of the Soul. Hast thou not tasted, hast thou not known that his Love is better than Wine? Hast thou not smelt the savour of his pretious Ointments, for which the Virgins love him? This, this is he who is altogether lovely. And while I write, my Heart doth burn: My Soul is on fire: I am sick of Love, &c.

But now methinks I see you almost drowned in Tears, because thou feelest not such workings of Love towards God: Weep on still; For Love hath Tears as well as Grief: And Tears of Love shall be kept in Gods Bottle as well as the other: Yea, they shall be as pretious Jewels, and an excellent Ornament. Hast thou felt such meltings of Loving-Grief? Know that they are no other than the streams of Christs Love flowing to thee, and through thee, and from thee to him again, And thus is Christ delighted in beholding of his own Beauties in his Spouses Eye, &c.

Yet for all this, he had also his gloomy days, and his Sun was sometimes over-clouded, His sweets were sometimes imbittered with dreadful and horrid Temptations: Satan shot His Temp…ation.his envenomed Arrows at him; But through the might of the Captain of his Salvation, he went more than a Conqueror out of the Field. He was with St. Paul many times lifted up into the 3d Heavens, and saw and heard things unutterable: But lest he should be exalted above measure, there was a Messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. It would make a Christians Heart ake to hear and read what strange Temptations this gracious Soul was exercised with. But he was well Armed for such a conflict, having on the Shield of Faith whereby he quenched the fiery Darts of that wicked one: yet this fight made his very Body to sweat through the Agonies of his Spirit: and caused him to send up strong Cries with Tears for fresh supplies of Grace.

p. 71These Temptations and conflicts with Satan did not a little help him afterwards in his dealing with one who was sorely afflicted with Temptations of the like Nature: And because it may be of singular use to others in the like case, see what he wrote.

Dear Friend, your Letters are bitter in the Mouth, but sweet in the Belly. They contain matter of Joy in a dismal aspect. They are good News brought by a Messenger in Mourning. I had rather hear of that which is matter of substantial, real Joy, though mixed with many sighs, and interrupted with many Groans and Sobs, then in that Laughter, in the midst of which the Heart is sad.

You say that you are troubled with Blasphemous Thoughts: So then though they are Blasphemous, yet they are your trouble; and thoughts they are too, and that neither sent for, nor welcom, and so are not assented to in your mind. What then shall we think of them? If they were of your own Production, your Heart would be delighted in its own issue: But you do nothing less. Sure then they are the Injections of that wicked One, who is the Accuser of the Brethren, and the Disturber of the Peace of of the People of God: But doth Satan use to imploy those Weapons, but against those that he is in some fear of loosing? He is not wont to assault and fight against his surest Friends in this manner. Those that he hath fast in his own Possession, he leads on as softly and quietly as he can, fearing lest such disturbance should make them to look about them, and so they should awake, and see their danger: But as for those who have in some measure escaped his snares, he follows them hard with all the discouragments he can.

Surely these things can be no other but a bitter relish of those things, which you know to be bitter after you tasted the Honey, and the Honey Comb: After you have seen how good the Lord is. What then shall I call these Motions of your Mind? They are the Souls loathing the Morsels which Satan would have it … swallow down: Yea, they are the Souls striving with Satan whilst he would Ravish the Spouse of Jesus: And let the Enemies of all goodness know, that he shall e're long pay dear for such attempts.

But you will say, If these horrible Thoughts be not your Sin, yet they are your trouble and misery, and you desire to be freed from them, and the most loyal and loving Spouse, had rather be delivered from these assaults. But you will ask, How shall I get freed from them? Ans. First, See that you possess your Soul in Patience: And know this that God hath an over-ruling Hand in all this; and wait upon him: For he can, and will bring forth good out of all this seeming evil. At present you are in the Dark, and see no Light: Yet trust in the Lord, and stay your self upon your God: Can Christ forget the purchase of his own Blood? The price of his Soul? Those whom he hath so intimately endeared to himself? Can a Mother forget her sucking Child? Yet God cannot forget his. God hath loving gracious intents in all this, and his Bowels yearn toward his. Yea, our Saviour suffers with us, through his ardent Love, by Sympathy, as well as he hath suffered for us. But for your being rid of these Thoughts, you know who hath all Power in his Hand; who doth imploy this Power in a way of love toward his: This Power is made yours through the Prayer of Faith: But for your own work do this:

First, Let not such Thoughts have any time of abode in your Mind; but turn them all the loathing and abhorrency you can, But not with so much trouble and disturbance of Mind as, (I believe) you do. For by this the Devil is pleased, and he makes you your own Tormentor.

2ly, Alwayes then divert your Thoughts to some good thing, and let those very injections be constantly the occasion of your more Spiritual Meditation. Think the quite contrary, or fall a Praying with earnestness, and the Devil will be a weary if he find his Designs thus broken, and that those Sparks of Hell which he struck into the Soul to kindle and inflame Corruption, do put warmth into Grace, and set Faith and Prayer a working: When he perceives, that what he intended as Water to cool your Love to God, proves like Oyl to make it flame the more vehemently, he will be discouraged. Thus resist him, and he will fly from you.

3ly, Consider that this is no New thing: For we are not in this, ignorant of Satan's Wiles, that if any Soul hath escaped out of his Chains of Darkness; If he will have Heaven, he shall have it with as much trouble as the Devil can lay on; and if he and his had their Wills, no good Man should have one peaceable Hour. But blessed be God for his everlasting and unchangable Love to his, so that the Devil p. 72cannot pluck us out of those Almighty Arms, where with he doth embrace his dear Children.

Dear Heart: My Prayer for thee is, that God would give thee the peaceable Fruit of Righteousnes after all thy Afflictions: And that thou maist come out of these Tryals, refined, and purified, and more fit for thy Master's Use; having this the end of all, to purge away thy Dross, and take away thy Sin. Thus hoping that at length, God will turn thy Mourning into Joy, thy trouble into Triumph, and all thy Sorrows into a sure and stable Peace, I leave you with Him, and rest.

Yours in our dear Lord, J. Janeway.

He much feared decayes in Grace and Apostacy: Yea, of flatness of Spirit; either in himself or others. And if he suspected any such thing in his nearest Relations, he would do alI that possibly▪ he could to recover them out of these Snares of Satan, and to quicken them to more vigorous spiritual Acts of Religion. He laboured to His Zeal.maintain a constant tenderness upon his Heart, and to take notice of the least departure of his Soul from God, or of Gods absenting of himself from his Soul. He had a godly Jealousie over his Brother, and desired by all means to carry on the work of Grace, which he had some hopes, was begun in him. He laboured to build sure, and to build up, that he might be rooted and grounded in the Faith, steadfast and unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Wherefore he followed him, not only with private warnings, and frequent Pathetical Counsel and Directions, but with Letters also. One of them here follows.

You live in a place where strict and close walking with God, hath few or no Examples; and most are apt to be like their Company: And God's own Children are too apt to forget their first Love. Our Hearts are apt to be careless and to neglect our watch. We are ready to grow formal in Duty, and less Spiritual, and then (it may be) less frequent: And Conscience is put off with some poor excuse: And thus Religion withers, and one that seemed once a Zelot may come to be a Laodicean; and some that looked once as though they were eminent Saints, may fall to to just nothing. It's too common, To have a Name to be alive, and yet to be dead. Read this and tremble lest it should be your Case. When we are lazy and a sleep, our Adversary is awake. When we are slothful and negligent, then he is diligent. I consider your Age; I know where you dwell; I am not unacquainted with your Temptations: Wherefore I cannot but be affraid of you, lest both by inward and outward Fire the Bush be singed, though, if God be in it, it cannot be burnt.

Give me leave to be in some measure fearful of you, and Jealous over you, and to mind you of what you know already. Principles of Civility will be but as broken Reed to stay our Souls upon, without those higher Principles which are planted in the Soul by the working of the Spirit of God: O remember what meltings you have sometimes had? Remember how solicitously you did sometimes enquire after Christ: How earnestly you seemed to ask the way to Zion, with your Face thitherward. O take heed of loosing those impressions you once had! Take not up with a slight work! True Conversation is a great thing, and another kind of thing then the most take it to be. O therefore be not satisfied with some Convictions; take them not for Conversion; much less, with resting in a Lifeless formal Profession.

There is such a thing as being almost a Christian: Nay, as drawing back to Perdition, and some that are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven may never come there. Beware lest thou lose the Reward. The Promise is made to him holdeth fast, and holdeth out to the End, and overcometh, Labour to forget what is behind, and to press forwards towards what is before. He that is contented with just Grace enough to get to Heaven, and to escape Hell, and desires no more, may be sure that he hath none at all, and is far from being made a partaker of the Divine Nature. Labour to know what it is to Converse with God: Strive to do every thing as in his presence: Design him in all. Act as one that stands within sight of the Grave and Eternity. I say again, do what you do, as if you were sure God stood by and looked on, and exactly recorded every Thought, Word, and Action; and you may very well suppose that which cannot be otherwise.

Let us awake and fall to our work in good earnest. Heaven and Hell are before us and Death behind us. What do we mean to sleep: Dulness in God's Service is very uncomfortable, and at the best will cost us dear; and to be contented p. 73with such a frame, is a certain Symptom of an Hypocrite. O how will such tremble when God shall call them to give an account of their Stewardships, and tell them that they may be no longer Stewards! Should they fall sick, and the Devil, and Conscience fall upon them, what inconceivable perplexity would they then be in!

O live more upon the Invisibles, and let the Thoughts of their excellencies put Life into your Performances. You must be content to be laughed at for your preciseness and singularity. A Christians walking is not with Men but with God: And he hath great cause to suspect his Love to God, who doth not delight more in conversing with God: and being conformed to him, then in conversing with the World, and being conformed unto it.

How can the Love of God dwell in that Man who liveth without God in the World? Without both continual walking with him in his whole Conversation, and those more peculiar visits of him in Prayer, Meditation, Spiritual Ejaculations, and other Duties of Religion; and the working of Faith, Love, Holy Desires, Delight, Joy, and Spiritual Sorrow in them. Think not that our walking with God cannot consist with Worldly Business: Yes, but Religion makes us Spiritual in common Actions; and there is not any Action in a Mans Life, in which a Man is not to labour to make it a Religious Act, by looking to the Rule in it, and Eyeing God's Glory; and thus he may be said, To walk with God. To this we must endeavour to rise, and never be content till we attain it: And if this seem tedious (as to degenerate Nature, it will) we must know that we have so much of Enmity against God still remaining, and are under depravation and Darkness, that we know not our true happiness. Such a Soul is sick, and hath lost its taste which doth not perceive an incomparable sweetness in walking with God, without whom all things else under Heaven are Gall and Bitterness, and to be little valued by every true Christian, &c.

Rest not in any condition in which your security is founded upon the sure bottom, the Lord Jesus Christ. Labour to attain to this, To love God for himself, and to have your Heart naturallized, and suited to Spiritual things. O for a Heart to rejoyce and work Righteousness! O that we could do the Will of God with more activity, delight, and constancy. If we did know more of God, we should love him more; and then God would still reveal more of himself to us; and then we should see more and more cause to love him, and wonder that we love him no more. O this, this is our Happiness, to have a fuller sight of God: To be wrapped up and filled with the Love of Christ. O let my Soul for ever be thus imploid! Lord, Whom have I in Heaven but Thee, and there is none on Earth, that I can desire in comparison of Thee.

By this we may perceive what it was that swallowed up his Heart; and where his Delight, Treasure, and Life was. His love to Christ and Souls made him very His entrance into the Ministry.desirous to spend and be spent in the work of the Ministry; and accordingly he complied with the first clear Call to Preach the Everlasting Gospel, and though now he was but about Two and twenty Years Old, yet he came to that Work as one that understood what a kind of imployment Preaching was. He was a Workman that needed not to be ashamed; that was thoroughly furnished for every good Word and Work: One that was able to convince gain-sayers: One in whom the Word of God dwelt richly. One full of the Spirit and Power: One that hated Sin with a perfect hatred, and loved Holiness with all his Soul, in whom Religion did shine forth in its Beauty: One that knew the terror of the Lord, and knew how to beseech Sinners in Christ's stead to be reconciled unto God: One who was both a Son of Thunder, and a Son of Consolation: So that it might be said of him, as St. Paul spake of Timothy, That he knew none like-minded that did naturally care for Souls. He was one in whom Learning and Holiness did strive which should excell others.

He never Preached publickly but twice, and then he came to it as though he had been used to that work Forty Years: He delivered the Word of God with that Power and Majesty; with that tenderness and compassion; with that readiness and freedom, that it made his Hearers almost amazed. He was led into the Mysteries of the Gospel, and spake nothing unto others but what was the Language of his Heart, and the Fruit of great Experience; and which (one might easily perceive) had no small impression first upon his own Spirit.

His two Sermons were upon Communion, and intimate converse with God: Out of His Text.that Text, Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him, and be at Peace: Thereby Good shall come unto thee. A Subject that few were better able to manage then himself: p. 74and scarce any could handle so feelingly as he: For he did for some considerable time maintain such an intimate familiarity with God, that he seemed to converse with him, as one Friend converses with another. This Text he made some entrance into whilst he was on Earth; but the perfecting his acquaintance with God was a work fitter for another World.

He kept an exact watch over his Thoughts, Words, and Actions, and reviewed all A Diary kept.that passed, at least once a Day in a solemn manner. He kept a Diary in which he wrote down every Evening, what the frame of his Spirit had been all that Day, especially in every Duty: He took notice what in-comes he had: What profit he received in his Spiritual Traffique: What returns came from that far Countrey: What answers of Prayer: What deadness and flatness of Spirit: And what Observable Providences did present themselves, and the substance of what he had been doing: What wandrings of Thoughts: What inordinate Passions, which though the World could not take notice of, yet he could and did: This made him to retain a Grateful Remembrance of God's Mercies, and to live in a constant admiring, and adoring of Divine Goodness. This brought him into a very intimate acquaintance with his own Heart: This kept him Humble, and fitted him for free communications from God: and made him more lively and active: This made him to speak more affectionately and experimentally to others of the things of God: Yea, this left a sweet calm upon his Spirit, because that every Night he made his accounts even, so that had his Sheet proved his Winding Sheet, it had been all one to him: For he could say, His Work was done, so that Death could not surprise him at unawares.Scriptur…s Studies.

He studied the Scriptures much, and they were sweeter to him then his Food, and he had an excellent dexterity in opening the mind of God in dark places. In the latter part of his Life he seemed to be wholly taken up with the Thoughts of Christ, Heaven, and Eternity. And the nearer he came to his Journies end, the swifter was his Motion thitherward, and more the unmixed were his Designs for them: And he used much to perswade others to a Universal, and free respect to the Glory of God: in all things, making Religion their Business, and not to mind these great things by the by.Ministers Duty.

He was much concerned about Ministers, that they, above all Men, should take heed, that they carried not on poor and low Designs instead of wholly Eyeing the Interest of God, and Souls. He judged that to take up Preaching as a Trade, was altogether inconsistent with the Spirit of a true Gospel Minister. He desired that they which seemed to be devoted to the Ministry, would, first, heartily devote their All to God, and then have a dear Love to Immortal Souls. He was very ready to Humility.debase himself, and humbly to acknowledge what he found amiss in himself: and laboured to amend himself and others.

He abounded in pitty and compassion to Souls, and yet was greatly grieved and Pitty to Souls.ashamed, that he did no more to express his sense of the worth of them, and that his Bowels did no more yearn over them, whom he had just cause to fear that they were in a Christless Condition. Though there were few of his Kindred, or Relations: Nay, of his Neighbours, and Acquaintance, but he made a particular Application to them, either by Letters or Conference; yet none were so forward to complain, and cry out of want of Love to Souls, and of unprofitableness to others in his Generation: That he was no fuller of compassion; and for that he made no better an improvement of all the Visits which he made; in which (said he) we should not make carnal Pleasure, and Recreation our End, but the imparting, and receiving of some Spiritual Gift.Visits to be improved.

He was not a little troubled at the barreness of Christians in their Meetings, and Discourses, not improving their Society for the quickning and warming of each others Heart. The expence of precious time, for which an account must be made: The ill managment of Visits, and the impertinency of their talk, he oft reflected upon with an Holy Indignation. It was a great Grief to his Soul to see what Prizes were sometimes put into the Hands of Christians, and how little skill and will they had to improve them for the building up one an other in their most Holy Faith: And that they who should be encouraging one an other in the way to Zion, commucating of Experiences, and talking of their Countrey, and of the Glory of that Kingdom of which the Saints are Heirs, could satisfie themselves with vain and empty Stuff, as if Christ, Heaven, and Eternity were not things of as great worth as any thing else, that usually sounds in the Ears, and comes from the Lips of Professors.

An other thing that he greatly bewailed was the want of Love among Christians, and thier Divisions: This cost him many Tears, and Groans, and he did what he p. 75Divisions bewailed.could to heal the Breaches by his Prudent and Christian advice and Counsel. He saw so much Pride, Peevishness, and such Divisions among Professors, that it did not a little vex his Righteous Soul, and made him even long to be in a calmer Air, where will be nothing but Union, Joy, and Love. He could not endure to hear Christians to speak reproachfully one of another, because they were of different Judgments and Perswasions. Where he saw most Holiness, Humility and Love, there he let out his Affections most freely. He was of that Holy Man's Mind, who said, That it is pitty that the very Name of Division is not wholly Buried, and that the time may come when we shall pay dearly for our Ʋnbrotherly, nay, Ʋnchristian Animosities.

In the latter part of his Life, he lived like a Man that was quite a weary of the His Heavenly-mindedness.World, and that looked upon himself as a Stranger hear, and that lived in the constant sight of a better World. He plainly declared himself to be a Pilgrim that looked for a better Countrey, for a City that hath Foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God: His deportment, his Habit, his Language, all bespake him a Man of another World. His Meditations were of intense, long, and frequent that they ripened him a pace for Heaven, and somewhat with all weakned his Body. Few Christians attain to such a Holy Contempt of the World, and to such clear believing, Joyfull, Constant His Communion with God.apprehensions of the Transcedent Glories of the other World.

He made it his whole Business to keep up sensible Communion with God: and to grow into an humble familiarity with him, and so to maintain it: And if by reason of Company, or any other necessary Divisions he was interrupted in his course, he would complain as one out of his Element, till his Spirit was recovered into a more delightfull, and free intercourse with God again. He was never so well satisfied as when he was more immediately engaged in what brought him nearer unto God: and by this means he enjoyed those Comforts more frequently, which other Christians meet with more rarely. His Faith grew up to a full Assurance: His desires into a kind of enjoyment and delight. He was oft brought into the Banqueting House, and there Christ's Banner over him was Love; and he sat down under his Shadow with great Delight, and his Fruit was pleasant unto his Taste. He had frequent Visions of Glory, and our John (as that Beloved Disciple) lay in his Master's Bosom. His Lord oft called him up into the Mount to him, and let him see his excellent Glory. O the sweet foretasts that he had of those Pleasures that are at the Right Hand of God! How oft was he Feasted with the Fat things of God's House, and with Wine on the Lees well refined! This made him rejoycingly to Run the Race which was set before him▪ whether of Doing or Suffering. He was even sick of Love, and could feelingly say to the Poor and Unexperienced World, O taste and see that the Lord is good: And to Christians, Come and I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul!…

He could take off those aspersions which the Devil and Athiest cast upon Godliness in the power of it: He could bring sensible Demonstrations to prove a Deity, and the Reality and Excellency of Invisibles, which there ignorant Fools and Mad-men make the Subject of their Scorn: He was one that would not change his Delights with the greatest Sensualists living, and could vie Pleasures with all the Jovial Gallants in the World: For which of them can say in the midst of their Jollity, This is the Pleasure that shall last for ever? Which of them can say in the midst of their Cups and Whores, I can now look Death in the Face; and this very Mo…, I can be content; yea, Glad to leave these Delights, as knowing that I shall enjoy better. This young Man, in the midst of all his Worldly Comforts longed for Death, and the Thoughts of the Day of Judgment made all his enjoyments much the sweeter. O how did he long for the coming of Christ! When some discoursed of that great and terrible The Day of Judgment desired.Day, he would smile, and humbly express his delight in the fore-thoughts of it.

He said, What if the Day of Judgment were, as it will certainly come shortly? If I were sure that the Day of Judgment were to begin within an Hour, I should be glad with all my Heart. If at this very instant I should hear such Thundrings, and see such Lightnings as Israel did at Mount Sinai, I am persawded my very Heart would leap for Joy. But this I am confident of (through infinite Mercy) that even the Meditation of that Day hath even ravished my Soul, and the Thoughts of the certainty and nearness of it, is more refreshing unto me then the Comforts of the whole World. Surely nothing can more revive my Spirits, then to behold the blessed Jesus, the Joy, Life, and Beauty of my Soul. Would it not more rejoyce me then Joseph's Wagons did old Jacob? I lately Dreamed that the Day of Judgment was come: Methought that I heard terrible Cracks of Thunder, and saw dreadful p. 76Lightnings: The Foundations of the Earth did shake, and the Heavens were rolled together as a Garment; yea, all things visible were in a Flame. Methought I saw the Graves opened, and the Earth, and the Sea giving up their dead: Methought I saw Millions of Angels, and Jesus Christ coming in the Clouds. Methought I beheld the Ancient of Dayes fitting upon his Throne, and all other Thrones cast down. Methought I beheld him whose Garments were white as Snow, the Hair of his Head like pure Wool: His Throne was like the fiery Flame, and his Wheels as burning Fire: A fiery Stream issued and came from him: Thousands of Thousands ministred unto him, and Ten Thousand times ten Thousand stood before him; and the Judgment was set, and the Books were opened. O! But with what an Extasie of Joy was I surprized! Methought it was the most Heart-raising, and Soul-ravishing sight that ever mine Eyes beheld; and thereupon I cryed out, I have waited for thy Salvation, O God; and so I mounted up into the Air, to meet my Lord in the Clouds.His Comforts.

He was in a comfortable condition for about Three Years before he died: Not but that he had some Clouds; but he usually walked in a sweet, even, humble, serenity of Spirit, and his refreshing Joyes were more considerable then his Despondings; and though he daily questioned many of his Actions, yet did he not question his estate, but had his Heart fixed upon that Rock that neither Winds nor Waves could shake. Death desired.His Senses were still so Spiritually exercised, as that he could look upon Heaven as his Countrey and Inheritance; to God as his Father; upon Christ as his Redeemer. And he counted it the highest Act of Patience to be willing to live, and a great pitch of Self-denial to be contented to be in this World, and to dwell on this side a full and eternal enjoyment of that Holy One, whom his Soul was so much in love with: He His Sickness.had vehement, and most earnest desires to be dissolved, and to be with Christ.

Now the time drew on wherein his Longings should be satisfied, wherein his Deportment was such, as those Christians which saw him, could not but admire God in him, and look upon him as one of the most singular instances of rich Grace, and bless God that their Eyes ever saw, and their Ears ever heard him. He fell into a deep Consumption, which Messenger of God did not in the least damp him. Spitting Blood was no gastly sight to one that had his Eye fixed upon the Blood of Jesus. Faint Sweats did not daunt him who had alwayes such reviving Cordials at Hand. It was matter of Joy to him that he had now some Hopes that his longing desires should be satisfied.He rejoiced at Death approaching.

Having been a while sick, a sudden dimness seized upon his Eyes: By and by his Sight quite failed, and there was such a palpable alteration in him that he and others judged that these were Symptoms of his approaching Death; yet was he not in the least surprized hereby, but rather rejoyced to think what a Life he was going to: He looked upon Death as one of his Father's Servants, and his Friend who was sent to conduct him to his Saviour's Glorious Pallace.

When he found his Body ready to faint, he called for his Mother, and said, Dear Mother, I am Dying; but I beseech you be not troubled: For I am (through Mercy) quite above the fears of Death; It is no great matter: I have nothing that troubles me but the apprehension of your Grief. I am going unto him whom I love above Life.

Out of this fainting fit, the Lord was pleased a little to revive him, having some more work for him to do, before he received his Wages. For though his outward His Patience.Man decaied, yet his Inward Man was renewed Day by Day. His Graces were never more active, nor his Experiences greater. For forgetting his pains and weakness he was so swallowed up with the Contemplation of the Life to come, that he had scarce leisure to think of his Sickness. For diverse Weeks together he was never heard to speak the least Word savoured of complaint, or weariness under the Hand of God, except his eager desire to be with Christ be counted complaining, and his hast to be in Heaven be called Impatience. His Faith grew exceedingly, and his Love was answerable, and his Joyes were equal to both.

O the high and Divine expressions that dropped from his Mouth! It was a very Heaven upon Earth to hear a Man admiring God at such a rate. His Soul for the Joy unspeakable.Six last Weeks was almost alwayes filled with those Joyes unspeakable and full of Glory, which the Apostle mentioneth. How oft would he cry out, O that I could but let you know what I now feel! O that I could shew you what I see! O that I could express the Thousandth part of that sweetness that now I find in Christ! You would all then think it worth the while to make it your Business to be Religious. O my Dear Friends, you little Life feared.think what a Christ is worth upon a Death-bed! I would not for a World; nay; for a Million of Worlds be now without a Christ, and a Pardon. I would not for a World live any longer: The very Thought of a possibility to recover makes me to tremble.

p. 77One that came to visit him, told him, that it might please God to raise him up again, and that he had seen many a weaker Man restored to Health, and that lived many a good year after. And do you think (said he) to please … by such discourse as this? No, Friend, you are much mistaken in me, if you think that the Thoughts of Life and Health, and the World, are pleasing to me. The World hath quite lost its Excellency in my Judgment Contempt of the world.O how poor and contemptible a thing is it in all its Glory, compared with the Glory of that Invisible World which I now live in the sight of! And as for Life, Christ is my Life, Health and Strength, and I know that I shall have another kind of Life when I leave this. I tell you, it would more incomparably please me, if you should say to me, You are no Man for this World: You cannot possibly hold out long: Before to morrow you will be in Eternity. Death longed for.I tell you, I do so long to be with Christ, that I could be content to be cut in pieces, and to be put to the most exquisite Torments, so I might but Die, and be with Christ. Oh how sweet is Jesus! Come Lord Jesus; come quickly. Death, do thy worst. Death hath lost its terribleness. Death, it is nothing: I say, Death is nothing (through Grace) to me. I can as easily Die as shut mine Eyes, or turn my Head and sleep. I long to be with Christ, I long to Die.

His Mother and Brethren standing by, he said Dear Mother, I beseech you as earnestly as ever I desired any thing of you in my life, that you would chearfully give me up to Christ: I beseech you do not hinder me now I am going to Rest and Glory. I am afraid of your Prayers, lest they will pull one way, and mine another.

Then turning to his Brethren, he thus spake unto them; I charge you all, Do not pray for my life any more; you do me wrong if you do. O the Glory! The unspeakable Glory that I Joy unspeakable.behold! my Heart is full: my Heart is full. Christ smiles, and I cannot chuse but smile: Can you find, in your Heart to stop me who am now going to the compleat and eternal Enjoyment of Christ? Would you keep me from my Crown? The Arms of my Blessed Saviour are open to embrace me: The Angels stand ready to carry my Soul into his Bosom. O! did you but see what I see, you would all cry out with me, How long (Dear Lord) Come Lord Jesus; Come quickly. O why are his Chariot wheels so long a coming!

A Reverend, Godly, and Judicious Minister came often to visit him, discoursing of the Excellency of Christ, and the Glory of the Invisible World: Sir, (said he) I feel something of Tasts of Heaven.it. My Heart is as full as it can hold in this lower State: I can hold no more here. O that I could but let you know what I feel! As this Minister was praying with him, his Soul was ravished with the abundant incomes of Light, Life, and Love, so that he could scarce bear it, nor the thoughts of staying any longer in the World from it; longing to be in such a condition wherein he should yet have more Grace, and more Comfort, and be better able to bear that weight of Glory; some manifestations whereof did even sink his weak Body; and had he not been sustained by God's great Power, his very Joyes would have overwhelmed him. Whilst he was in these Extasies of Joy and Love, he was wont to cry out:

Who am I Lord, Who am I, that thou shouldest be mindful of me! Why me, Lord, Why Free Grace admired.me! And pass by Thousands to look upon such a wretch as I! O what shall I say unto thee, O thou Preserver of Men! O why me, Lord, Why me! O blessed, and for ever blessed be Free Grace! How is it, Lord, that thou shouldest manifest thy self unto me, and not unto others? Even so Father, because it seems good in thine Eyes. Thou wilt have Mercy, because thou wilt have Mercy. And if thou wilt look upon such a poor Worm, who can hinder? Who would not love thee! O blessed Father! O how sweet and gracious hast thou been unto me! O that he should have me in his Thoughts of Love, before the Foundations of the World!

And thus he went on admiring and adoring God in a most high and heavenly manner. He was wonderfully taken with God's goodness to him in sending that Aged and Experienced Minister to him, to help him in his last great work upon Earth. Who am I (said he) that God should send to me a Messenger, one of a Thousand to assist me thus! Though he mostly was in a Joyful, Triumphant frame of Spirit, yet sometimes he had some small intermissions, in which he would cry out, Hold out Faith and Patience: Yet a little while and your work is done. And when he found not his Heart wound up to the highest pitch of Thankfulness, Admiration and Love, he would with great sorrow thus bemoan himself.

And what's the matter now (O my Soul!) What, wilt thou; canst thou thus unworthily sleight this admirable and astonishing Condescention of God to thee! Seems it a small matter that the great Jehovah should deal thus familiarly with his Worm? And wilt thou pass this over as a common mercy? What meanest thou, O my Soul, that thou dost not constantly adore and praise this rare, strong, and unspeakable Love! Is it true, O my Soul! doth God deal familiarly with Man, and are his humble, zealous, and constant Love, Praise and Service too good for God! Why art thou not, O my Soul, swallowed up every moment with this free, unparallel'd, p. 78everlasting Love! And then he brake out again into an other Triumpant Extasie of Praise and Joy, thus:

Stand astonished ye Heavens, and wonder O ye Angels at this infinite Grace! Was Free Grace admired.ever any under Heaven more beholding to free Grace then I? Doth God use to deal thus with his Creatures? Admire him for ever and ever, O ye Redeemed Ones! O those Joyes of which I have the taste! Those Everlasting Joyes that are at his Right Hand for Evermore! Eternity, Eternity it self, is too short to Praise this God in. O bless the Lord with me, and let us shout for Joy, and boast in the God of our Salvation. O help me to Praise the Lord for his Mercy endures for ever.

One of his Brethren (that had reaped much good by him) praying with him, and seeing him (as he judged) near to his Dissolution, desired that the Lord would be pleased to continue those astonishing, and Soul-supporting Comforts to the last Moment of his Breath; and that he might go from one Heaven to another; from Grace and Joy imperfect, to perfect Grace and Glory. And when his work was done here, to give him (if it were his Will) the most easie and Triumphant Passage to Rest; and that he might have an abundant entrance administred into the Everlasting Kingdom of of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Prayer being ended, he brake out into a wonderful Passion of Joy, crying out, Amen, Amen, Amen: Hallalujah.

I (saith mine Authour) do verily believe that it exceeds the highest Rhetorick, to set out to the Life what this Heavenly Person did then deliver. We want words to declare it, and so did he; for he saw things unutterable. He talked as if he had been in the third Heavens, and brake out into such words as these: O He is come! He his come! O how Sweet, How Glorious is the Blessed Jesus! How shall I do to speak …o… unspeakable.the Thousandth part of his Praises! O for Words, to set out a little of that Excellency! But it is unexpressible. O how Excellent, Glorious, and Lovely is the precious Jesus! He is sweet, He is altogether Lovely! And now I am sick of Love; He hath ravished my Soul with his Beauty! I shall Die sick of Love.

O my Friends, stand by and wonder: Come look upon a dying Man and Wonder: I cannot my self but wonder: was there ever a greater kindness. Was there ever more sensible manifestations of rich Grace! O why me, Lord why me! Sure this is a Kin to Heaven; and if I were never to enjoy more then this, it were well worth all the Torments that Men and Devils could invent, to come through even an Hell to such unspeakable Joyes as these. If this be Dying, Dying is sweet: Let no true Christian ever be afraid of Dying. O Death is sweet to me! This Bed is soft! Christ's Arms and Kisses, his Smiles and Visits, sure they would turn Hell into Heaven. O that you did but see and feel what I do! Come and behold a Dying Man more chearful then you ever saw any Healthful Man in the midst of his sweetest Enjoyments! O Sirs, Worldly Pleasures are poor, pittiful, sorry things, compared with one glimps of this Glory, which shines so strongly into my Soul! O, Why should any of you be so sad, when I am so glad? This, This is the Hour that I have waited for.

About Eight and Forty Hours before his Death, his Eyes were dim, and his Sight Death approaching.much failed; his Jaws trembled, and his Feet were cold, and all the Symptoms of Death were upon him, and his remoat Parts were almost Dead and Sensless; And yet, even then his Joyes (if possible) were greater still. He had so many Fits of Joy unspeakable, that he seemed to be in a continued Act of Love and Praise. He spake as one that was just entering into the Gates of the New Jerusalem: His greatest part was already in Heaven: Not a word dropped from his Mouth but breathed of Instructions.Christ and Heaven. O, what encouragement did he give to them that stood by to follow hard after God, and to follow Christ in an Humble, Believing, Zealous course of Life, and of adding one Degree of Grace to another, and to use all Diligence to make their Calling and Election sure: Saying, that then they also should find a glorious Passage into Blessed Eternity.

But the most of his work was Praise: A Hundred times over he admired the bottomless Love of God to him, Crying, O why me, Lord, Why me? And then he would give Instructions to them that came to see him. He was scarce ever silent, the Love Christ dearly loved.of Christ, and Souls constraining him to do all the good that possibly he could: And that Holy Minister that was so much with him, perswaded him to be content to live a little longer, and patiently to wait Gods leisure, who sure had something for him to do, which was yet undone: Some word of Exhortation to some poor Soul that hitherto was forgotten.

The Truth is, he was so filled with the Love of Christ that he could scarce bear to be absent from him for a moment. He knew that he could be capable of receiving p. 79greater Glory in Heaven, then he could here. Every Evening he used of his Friends, Hoping that he should see them no more till the Morning of the Resurrection: And he desired them to be careful to make sure of a comfortable meeting at their Father's House in the other World.

When Ministers or private Christians came to him, he would beg of them that His Praises.they would spend all the time that they had with him in Praises. O (said he) Help me to Praise God, I have now now nothing else to do from this time to Eternity, but to praise and love God. I have what my Soul desires upon Earth. I cannot tell what to pray for, but what I have gratiously given in. The wants that are capable of being supplied in this World, are supplied. I want but one thing, and that is, a speedy lift to Heaven. I expect no more here: I desire no more: I cannot bear more. O Praise, Praise, Praise that infinite boundless Love that hath, to a wonder, looked upon my Soul, and hath done more for me, then for Thousands of his Dear Children. O Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, bless his Holy Name! O help me, help me, O my Friends, to Praise, and Admire him who hath done such astonishing things, and wonders for my Soul! He hath pardoned all my Sins, and hath filled me with his Goodness: He hath given me Grace and Glory, and no good thing hath he withheld from me.

Come, help me with Praises, yet all is too little. Come help me all ye Mighty and Glorious Angels, who are so well skil'd in this Heavenly work of Praise! Praise him, all ye Creatures upon Earth: Let every thing that hath being help me to Praise God: Hallalujah, hallalujah, hallalujah! Praise is now my work, and I shall be engaged in this sweet Work forever. Bring the Bible: turn to David's Psalms, and let us sing a Psalm of Praise. Come let us lift up our Voices in the Praises of the Most High. I will Sing with you as long as my Breath doth last; And when I have none I shall do it better.

Then turning to some of his Friends that were weeping; he desired them to Rejoyce, rather then to weep upon his account. It was a wonder that a Man so weak could speak so much: But the Joy of the Lord was his strength. In hi… Sickness those Scriptures which he took most delight in were the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Chapters of St John's Gospel. Also the Fifty fourth of the Prophecy of Isaiah, was very delightful to him: with abundance of Joy he oft repeated those Words, With Everlasting Mercies, will I gather you. He commended the study of the Promises to Believers, and desired them that they would be sure to make good their claim to them, and then they might come to the Wells of Consolation, and there drink their fill.

According to his desire most of the time was spent in Praises, and he would still be calling, More Praises yet: O help me to Praise God, I have now nothing else to do! I have done with Prayer, and all other Ordinances. I have almost done conversing with Mortals: I shall presently behold Christ himself that died for me, and loved me, and washed me in his own Blood. I shall before a few Hours be over be in Eternity, singing the Song of Moses, and the Song of the Lamb. I shall presently stand upon Mount Sion, with an innumerable Company of Angels, and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect, and with Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant: I shall hear the Voice of much People, and be one amongst them, which shall say Hallelujah, Glory, Salvation, Honour, and Power unto the Lord our God: and again we shall say Hallelujah. And yet a very little while, and I shall Sing unto the Lamb, a Song of Praise, saying, Worthy art thou to receive Praise, who wast slain, and hast Redeemed us unto God by thy Blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation, and hast made us unto our God, Kings, and Priest, and we shall Reign with thee for ever and ever.

Methinks I stand, as it were, with one Foot in Heaven, and the other upon Earth Methinks I hear the Mellody of Heaven, and by Faith I see the Angels waiting to carry my Soul to the Bosom of Jesus, and I shall be for ever with the Lord in Glory. And who can choose but rejoyce in all this? Much of this he repeated over and over with greater Affections then can be expressed by Words.

The Day before his Death, he looked earnestly upon his Brother James, who stood by very sad, whom he judged to be putting up some Ejaculations unto God upon his account, to whom he said, I thank thee, Dear Brother, for thy Love: Thou art now praying for me: And I know that thou lovest me dearly: But Christ loves me ten Thousand times more then thou doest. Come and kiss me, Dear Brother, before I Die: And so with his cold dying Lips he kissed him, saying, I shall go before, and I hope thou shalt follow after to Glory. Though he slept but very little for some Nights, yet he was not p. 80in the least impaired in his Intellectuals; his Actions were all decent, and his Discourse, to a Spiritual understanding, highly rational, solid, and Divine: And so he continued to the last Minute of his Breath.

A few Hours before his Death he called all his Relations, and Brethren together, He blesseth his Relations.that he might give them one solemn warning more, and Bless them, and Pray for them, as his breath and strength would give him leave; which he did with abundance of Authority Affection, and Spirituality, as follows.

First, He thanked his Dear Mother for her tender Love to him, and desired that His Mother.she might be in Travel to see Christ formed in the Souls of the rest of her Children, see of the Travel of her Soul, and meet them with Joy in that Great Day.

Then be charged all his Brethren and Sisters in general, as they would answer it His Eldest Brother.before God, that they should carry themselves dutifully to their dear Mother. As for his Eldest Brother (at whose House he lay Sick) his Prayer was, that he might be swallowed up of Christ, and with Love to Souls, and be more and more Exemplary in his Life, successful in his Ministry, and that he might finish his course with Joy.

His next Brother was Andrew, a Citizen of London, whom (though absent) His second Brother.he thus Blessed: The God of Heaven remember my poor Brother in London. The Lord make him truly Rich, in giving him the Pearl of great Price, and make him a Fellow Citizen with the Saints, and of the Houshold of God: the Lord deliver him from the Sins of that City: May the World be kept out of his Heart, and Christ dwell there. O that he may be, as his Name is, A strong Man, and that I may meet him with Joy.

Then called he for his Brother James (to whom he hoped that God had made him His third Brothera Spiritual Father) to whom he thus spake, Brother James, I hope that God hath given thee a goodly Heritage: The Lines are fallen to thee in Pleasant Places. The Lord is thy Portion. I hope the Lord hath shewed unto thee the worth of a Christ. Hold on, (dear Brother) Christ, Heaven, and Glory are worth striving for. The Lord give thee more abundance of his Grace.

His next Brother Abraham was called, to whom he thus spake: The Blessing of the His fourth Brother.God of Abraham rest upon thee: The Lord make thee a Father of many Spiritual Children.

His Fifth Brother was Joseph, whom he thus Blessed: Let him bless thee (O Joseph) who blessed him that was Seperated from his Brethren. O that his Everlasting Arms His fifth Brother.may take hold of thee! It is enough if yet thou maist live in his Sight. My Heart hath been working towards thee, Poor Joseph, and I am not without Hopes, that the Arms of the Almighty will embrace thee. The God of thy Father bless thee with Blessings of Heaven above.

The next was his Sister Mary, to whom he said; Poor Sister Mary, thy Body is weak, His first Sister.and thy Daies will be filled with bitterness: Thy Name is Marah: The Lord sweeten all with his Grace and Peace, and give thee Health in thy Soul. Be patient; make sure of Christ, and all is well.

Then his Sister Sarah was called, whom he thus blessed: Sister Sarah, thy Body is strong His second Sister.and healthful; O that thy Soul may be so too! The Lord make thee, first a wise Virgin, and then a Mother in Israel: A Pattern of Modesty, Humility and Holiness.

Then his Brother Jacob was called, whom he thus blessed: The Lord make thee an His sixth Brother.Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile. O that thou mayest learn to wrestle with God, and like a Prince, prevail, and not go without the Blessing!

Lastly, He prayed for his youngest Brother Benjamin, who was but an Infant. Poor His seventh Brother.little Benjamin; O that the Father of the Fatherless would take care of thee, Poor Child, that thou which never sawest thy Father upon Earth, mayest see him with Joy in Heaven! The Lord be thy Father and Portion: Mayest thou prove the Son of thy Mothers Right Hand, and the Joy of her Age.

O that none of us all may be found among the unconverted at the Day of Judgment! O that every one of us may appear with our Honoured Father, and Dear Mother, before Christ with Joy, that they may say, Lord, here are we, and the Children which thou hast graciously given us! O that we may live to God here, and live with him hereafter. And now my Dear Mother, Brethren and Sisters, farewel: I leave you for a while, and commend you to God, and to the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an Inheritance among them which are sanctified.

And now Dear Lord, my Work is done; I have finished my course; I have fought the p. 81good Fight, and henceforth there remaineth for me a Crown of Righteousness! Now come Dear Lord Jesus; come quickly.

The afore-mentioned godly Minister came now to give him his last Visit; and when he spake to him, his Heart was in a mighty Flame of Love and Joy, which drew Tears of Joy from this Minister, and was amazed to hear a Man just a dying, talk as if he had been with Jesus, and came from the immediate presence of God. O the smiles that were then in his Face, and the unspeakable Joy that was in his Heart! O the Praises, the Triumphant Praises that were in his Mouth! And every one must speak Praises that were about him, or else they made a Jar in his Harmony.

A little before his Death in the Prayer, or rather Praises, which were returned for him, he was so wrapped up with Admiration and Joy, that he could scarce forbear shouting for Joy. In the conclusion of that Duty, with abundance of Faith and Fervency, he said aloud, Amen, Amen.

And now his longing Desires shall be soon satisfied. He sees Death coming apace to do his office; his Jaws were loosened more and more, and quivered greatly. His Hands and Feet were as cold as Clay. A cold Sweat was upon him. But O! how glad was he when he felt his Spirit just a going! Though the pangs of Death were strong, yet that far more exceeding, and Eternal Weight of Glory, made him bear those bitter pains with much patience and courage.

In the extremity of his pains, he desired his Eldest Brother to lay him a little lower, and to take away one Pillow from him, that he might Die with the more ease: His Brother replied, That he durst not for a World do any thing that might hasten his Death a moment. Then he was well satisfied, and resigned up himself wholly unto God's disposal. And after a few minutes, with a sudden motion, gathering up all his strength, he gave himself a little turn on one side, and in the twinkling of an Eye departed to the Lord, sleeping in Jesus. Aged between Twenty Three, and Twenty Four, in the month of June, An. Christi 1657