The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
I Come now after the branches of his vine to the plants of his vineyard, namely his men,1 In chuſing. and maid-ſervants, amongſt whom there was not one idle and unprofitable perſon. Where, I hold him worthy great commendation, firſt for his godly care in chuſing: And ſecondly, for his good conſcience in ordering and uſing of them (as he did) ſo well, both in their perſons and in their callings. As for their choice, this was wont to be his courſe. As he heard of any that began to ſet their faces towards Ieruſalem, or to look towards heaven, as if they meant in good earneſt to travell that way: or of ſuch as had travelled many Sabbath dayes journey that way already: his heart was preſently towards them, ſo that by good and faire meanes he endeavoured to draw ſuch into his ſervice, and if he had place of imployment for them, to plant them in his family, above any other perſons whatſoever. So that in a ſhort time he was ſo well provided and furniſhed with honeſt and faithfull, godly and gracious ſervants, both men, and women, that he had now, as Paul ſaith, Philemon had once, a Church in his houſe. And no marvell, ſeeing for continuall ſupply there were many that were religious, who would willingly offer themſelves and make meanes to be admitted into his houſe, and to do him ſervice, untill they were like Davids hoſt, a great hoſt, like the hoſt of God, 1 Chron. 12.22. A full houſhold, and gracious family, where Husband and wife, parents and children, governours and ſervants are all, either truly religious, or at leaſt ſuch, as do orderly and duly ſubmit themſelves to all duties of religion in the family. Now for the ordering and uſing of his ſervants, he did reckon of ſuch as moſt faithfull ever unto him, as he found ever moſt faithfull unto God, as did Conſtantius when hee purged his Court. And ſuch he did much eſteeme, and entirely affect, as his brethren and fellow ſervants in and under Chriſt Jeſus.2. For the uſing of his ſervants. Yea he made them ſomtimes as his companions in his familiar and kinde uſage of them; ſometimes, as his counſellours, to adviſe, conferre, conſult, and reſolve with them, in matters of conſcience, or of other importance ſomtimes as his comforters in afflictions and tentations, that he might ſo receive ſome comfort and refreſhing from them.
Some of ſpeciall note, as Old Robert.Among the reft he had one of ſpeciall note, an old diſciple like Mnaſon, as a father in his family to the reſt of his ſervants, his name Robert Paſfield, but better knowne by the name of old Robert, a man utterly unlearned, being unable to read a ſentence, or write a ſyllable: yet was he ſo well taught of God, that by his own induſtry and Gods bleſſing upon his minde and memory, he grew in grace as he did in yeeres, and became ripe in underſtanding, and mighty in the Scriptures. Yea he was ſo well acquainted with the hiſtory of the Bible, and the ſumme and ſubſtance of every Book and Chapter, that hardly could any ask him, where ſuch a ſaying or ſentence were, but he would with very little adoe, tell them in what Book and Chapter they might finde it. Inſomuch that he became as a very profitable Index to the family, to call to minde what they had learned, and to recover what they had loſt by ſlip of memory: and not onelyonly ſo, but a godly Inſtructor, and Teacher of young profeſſors alſo, to acquaint them with the Word, and to exerciſe their hearts unto godlineſſe, by the precepts and examples thereof, which he conſtantly did both at home and abroad, as he had leiſure and liberty ſo to do. Now if that which I have often heard be true, that Bonus Textualis, is Bonus Theologus; A good Text-man is a good Divine; then may Old Robert in our countrey proceedings, be allowed for a Divine, and a Doctor alſo. He had many other good parts in him, a good gift in prayer, and praiſe, very willing and well able to conferre of good things, carefull to heare the Word read or preached, and to help his own, and his friends memories by repetitions and ſome other means: as of a ſtrange Girdle which, as I ſhall ſhew you, he had framed for himſelf to that purpoſe. The Girdle was of leather, long and large:Old Robert his Girdle for help of his memory. ſo that for compaſſe it would go twice about him: This (for the help of his memory) he divided into ſeverall portions and parts (as a Carpenter doth his Rule) and allotteth every Booke of the Bible in their order, to ſome of thoſe diviſions: As Geneſis to the firſt, Exodus to the ſecond, &c. Then for the diſtinction of the Chapters of every Booke, he annexed a long point, or thong unto the ſeverall diviſions, and made knots by fives or tens thereupon, to diſtinguiſh the chapters of that book, he had alſo other, either points or ruſhes to divide the chapters into their particular contents, or ſeverall parts, or verſes, as occaſion did require.
This inſtrument of his owne invention, hee framed and uſed (as others do their pen and writing) for the better helpe of his underſtanding, and reliefe of his memory in his hearing of the Word preached; which he did with ſo good effect and fruit, in obſerving all the points and Scriptures alleadged in a Sermon, and binding them upon the points, and partitions of his Girdle, as he heard them, that in repeating of the Sermon afterwards, he himſelfe had great benefit, and many other profeſſors, much comfort and helpe, by his handling of his girdle and fingering the points, and diviſions of it.
A matter of ſuch wonder unto all that ever ſaw it, and heard him repeat a Sermon by it, that his worthy Maſter thought the girdle worthy to bee kept and reſerved in his Study, as a monument of Gods mercy and old Roberts both piety and induſtry, that he might bee known to have beene neither idle nor unprofitable in partaking of the bleſſing of the miniſtery.A reb uke to mindleſſe and careleſſe perſons. This man, and his girdle, ſhall riſe up in judgement againſt many of greater place than himſelfe, who being both mindleſſe in obſerving, and careleſſe in retaining what they heare, or have heard in the preaching of the Word, will neither ſtirre up the graces of God which are in them, nor exerciſe the naturall parts aright which God hath given them, nor practiſe any artificiall helpes of their owne or other mens invention, for reliefe of their owne weakneſſe both in minde and memory, and for ſupply of other mens wants, according as their neceſſities may require. Hence alſo may we raiſe a juſt rebuke of many of better parts, who having many helps both by arts and tongues, Logick and learning, Art of memory, writing by characters, or otherwiſe;And to ſuch as uſe not their skil, and other faculties aright. doe not yet ſet themſelves and their gifts a worke in any good courſe, to make the beſt benefit of that which they heare for themſelves, that ſo they might be more profitable unto others, according to the places and callings wherein the Lord hath ſet them.