The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 14 – Chapter 15
CHAP. XIV.
SOme of the firſt, though not the faireſt fruits of his change and converſion,The fruits of his converſion. Firſt as heire of the family in civill matters. Secondly, cap. 18. His reformation. began then to appeare, when firſt of an heire he became an inheritor of his Fathers ſtate, and took poſſeſſion of his houſe and lands. For being of himſelfe unfit (as many young heires are) either to undertake ſuch a charge or manage ſuch an eſtate, as by the fall of their parents is fallen unto them: he notwithſtanding (by the mercy and grace of God) at his firſt entrance, began to cut off, and caſt out all lets and impediments which might hinder him, and to uſe and embrace all helpes that might further him, in running the race which the Lord had now ſet before him: for whereas there were two ſpeciall matters of importance that might now perplex him, firſt, how upon ſo ſmall beginnings he might ſufficiently provide for his owne family:Removing impediments. and ſecondly, how (his father having charged him and the land, with the portions of twelve children, ſonnes and daughters, which hee left behind him) hee might faithfully diſcharge that truſt, which his father repoſed in him: hee both wiſely and conſcionably firſt of all, laid away Hawkes and Hounds, and caſt off for ever his wide mouth'd Dogs, and utterly ceaſed any longer, to follow them, or their followers. And which is yet more,Renouncing his pleaſures. to cut off all occaſions of waſtefull and riotous expence both of time and other things, having a goodly Parke left him on the backeſide of his houſe, well ſtored and furniſhed with fallow Deere, hee preſently killed up the game, and diſparked the Parke, and drawing himſelfe to as narrow a compaſſe as well hee could, lived ſo frugally and contentedly (and yet for his place very competently and orderly) that he provided ſufficiently for his owne family,His Frugality. and faithfully diſcharged himſelfe of his fathers charge, paying his brethren and ſiſters all their portions, and placing them in marriage, and otherwiſe very comfortably, as his owne words will beare me teſtimony. This charge through Gods aſſiſtance (ſaith he) I well diſcharged.His fidelity. And married well all my ſiſters, and preferred all my brothers, and none of them offended. A rare example I confeſſe, conſidering the young heires, that come to their lands in our time; for as commonly, they are ſick of the father (as Eſau was, before his day, looking for his death) ſo when they come on a ſudden, to ſo greate an eſtate,A rebuke to other mens prodigality, and infidelity. their wealth many times overgrowes their wit, and being now maſters over their owne meanes, they are ſo farre from quenching the heat of their former luſts, that now they adde fewell unto the fire, and caſt oyle into the flame, and turning their liberty into licenciouſneſſe, and the grace of God into wantonneſſe, they become and grow like Infidels and Turkes, neither providing for their owne families, nor regarding their brethren nor ſiſters, being yet their own fleſh and blood, and their owne fathers iſſue and off-ſpring as themſelves are. A faire check and rebuke alſo, may hence bee taken for ſuch and ſo many of our Gentlemen of riper age,And a check to ſome others obſtinacy in their old ſins. as having beene a long time enſnared in the luſts of youth, and faſt bound with the cords of their pleaſing ſins, have not yet (for all the meanes of grace) after twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty yeares, obtained ſo much grace and ſtrength from the Lord, as this Gentleman, to breake from the power, and ceaſe from the practice of their old ſins, but are ſtill a childiſh and vaine in their ſports, and purſuit of their pleaſures, as if all this while they had but only ſipped and taſted of Circes cup, but now are reſolved to take yet a deep and a full draught of it, even untill they be dead drunke with their ſenſuall delights, and drop downe in a moment into hell, from the hight of their jolly vanities. O that the voice of Chriſt in his Word might rouſe them and raiſe them up out of this ſenſuality and ſecurity! Awake thou that ſleepeſt, and ſtand up from the dead, and Christ ſhall give thee light. Quia virtutibus amaritudo permiſta eſt, vitia verò voluptate condita ſunt: illa offenſi, hac deliniti feruntur in praeceps, ac honorum ſpem fulſi, mala pro bonis amplectuntur. Lastant. Lib. 1. de falſ. Rel. Auguſt. Confeſ. lib 8. cap. 5. Inſitam veritati auſteritatem, natura hominum proclovis in vit…a pati non poteſt. Lact. de Falſa Rel. Lib. 1.They heate this voice and are many of them (I am perſwaded) convinced by it, but they returne no anſwer, but as Augustine ſpeakes, Ʋerba tantum lenta, & ſomnolenta: modò, ecce modò, ſine paululum: A few ſilly and ſleepy words, anon, loe, anon; ſet me alone a little. But as it followeth, Modò & modò, non habent modum, & ſine paululum, in longum ibit. Anon, and anon, will never have done, and a little forbearance will grow to cuſtome and continuance.
But ſeeing neither the precepts of the Word, nor the Patterne and example of this worthy Gentleman living amongſt them, nor the light which ſhines from others round about them, is of any prevailing power for their converſion and reformation: wee will leave them as we finde them, praying the Lord to amend what is amiſſe, and to be mercifull unto them, if he have any mercy in ſtore for them.
CHAP. XV.
Secondly, other fruits of his converſion in matters of religion, as Governour of his family. In ſetting up religion in his family. 1 Chron 13.13, 14.ANd ſo we proceed to ſome other fruits of this Gentlemans effectuall calling, that (ſo farre as he hath ſhewed forth the vertues of him that called him out of darkneſſe into his marvellous light, hee may yet be a lampe to give light unto others, by the courſe and records of his life, even to ſuch as deſire to be followers of ſuch a leader, in the wayes of grace and peace. After the Lord was pleaſed thus to reveale himſelfe in his Sonne Chriſt unto him, and to cauſe the light of his countenance to ſhine into his heart, he could never have reſt in himſelfe, untill hee had with Obed Edom, brought the Arke of God into his houſe: and that he did with much joy and comfort, raiſing up an Altar for Gods worſhip in his family, and ſo making it a little Bethel, a houſe of God, a pledge of his preſence, and place for his ſervice. For thus began he to thinke with Jacob, Ge. 30.30.when ſhall I provide for mine owne houſe alſo? Thus did hee reſolve with Joſhua, Ioſh. 24. Laid down firſt in the generals.though not one of his neighbour Gentlemen would ſo reſolve with him, Yet I and my houſe will ſerve the Lord. Thus did hee with Abraham, Command his children and his houſhold after him, that they might keep the way of the Lord, to doe juſtice and judgement. Thus did hee governe his houſe with David, walking wiſely in the midſt of it, ſetting his eyes or favour and reſpect upon the godly, but not ſuffering a wicked perſon to abide in his ſight. This was the conqueſt of his faith wherby he did overcome the world. This was the worke of grace, being illightened himſelfe to illighten others, converted himſelfe to convert others, being come unto Christ himſelfe, to call on others to come unto him, and abide with him. And for want of this victory of faith, and power of grace, there is but few of our Gentlemen, that in theſe dayes have their houſes and families ſo well ordered and reformed, ſo well purged from old ſinnes, and ſeaſoned ſo well with true religion, as this our Cornelius had, being himſelfe a devout man, and one that feared God with all his houſe.