The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
AFter this ſhort prayer, becauſe wee are all commanded to ſing Pſalmes unto God,2 His ſinging of Pſalmes. to teſtifie our rejoycing in him, to inſtruct our ſelves in his mercies, and judgements, words, and works, and to make melody in our hearts before him, as alſo to quicken our ſoules to praiſe and thankſgiving; hee therefore did uſually call the whole family to ſing ſome of the Pſalmes (ſuch as hee named unto them) with grace in their hearts unto the Lord, which they ordinarily performed with ſuch melodious and ſweet voices and affections, himſelfe beginning the tune, and the reſt in a ſweet accord, and harmony joyning with him, as if they had deſired to ſing Davids Pſalmes,His delight in ſinging of Pſalms. not onelyonly with Davids Harpe, but even with Davids heart alſo. With this exerciſe of ſinging of Pſalmes, hee was much delighted, and oftentimes ſo raviſhed in his ſpirit, with holy and heavenly joy in ſinging and ſounding forth Gods praiſes, that his heart would even ſpring and leape in his body, as John Baptist did for the joy of Christ, in his mothers belly:Hieron in Epitaphio Fabiolae. yea he was ſo much affected with the praiſing of God in this kinde, that hee tooke the word Halelu-jah (which is the title of nine Pſalmes, and the ſong of the Quire of Angles) for his Poeſie, and uſually writ it in the firſt leafe of all his bookes, with his owne hand, to provoke and draw on others into the fellowſhip of Gods praiſes with him, and to ſet it forth as an impreſſe or character of his chiefe deſire and delight,Amalaris de officio m…ſſ…c. 13. to have the praiſes of the Lord in his heart, or in his mouth, in his care or in his eye continually.
When the Pſalm was ended,3 His reading of the Scriptures. he read a Chapter himſelfe out of the Bible, keeping an orderly and conſtant courſe in his reading, to make his family better acquainted with the order, and matter of the Scriptures, and to ſeaſon their hearts with ſome portion of Gods Word in the morning, as a preſervative againſt all unfavoury thoughts, noyſome luſts, rotten ſpeeches, and ungodly workes, all the day after. This hee knew was Gods holy Ordinance, from which neither Kings in peace, nor Commanders in warre, were exempted; wherewith all Governours of families are expreſly charged,Deut. 6.6, 7, 8. Deut. 17.18, 19. Ioſ. 1.7.8. Deut. …1.18, 19, 20 2 Tim. 3.14, 15. Ioh. 5.39. wherein both elder, and yonger have beene exerciſed, and whereunto all ſorts are by our bleſſed Saviour exhorted. Search the Scriptures, &c. And this hee duly performed with ſuch reverence and conſcience, as might (to his power) beſt become the ſolemnity of the action which they had in hand, and the majeſtie of his preſence, before whom they ſtood.
Now becauſe he knew that all planting and watering was in vain, unleſſe God himſelf gave the bleſſing of increaſe: and that the Prayer of faith availeth much for that end, if it bee fervent, hee therefore with all his family, bowing the knees of their hearts, as well as the knees of their bodies before the throne of grace, did in the next place commend themſelves unto God in humble and hearty prayer, making their requeſts knowne unto God,4. His humble and holy prayer with thankſgiving. in all manner of ſupplications with thankſgiving: which hee uſually performed with that power and feeling, fervency and ſincerity, faith, and humility (as the ſpirit of grace gave him underſtanding, and utterance, and their ſeverall occaſions and other neceſſities did require) that hee was oftentimes much admired of them that heard him, and by his holy petitions and gracious affections, did much refreſh the hearts, and cheere the ſpirits, of many of his neighbours and friends which joyned with him.Gen. 32.26.27.28 Hoſ. 12.4. Hee would ſo wreſtle with God by prayers and teares, like Jacob, that hee would not let him go, untill like an Iſrael, he had by praying and weeping prevailed with him. The fruits of which his holy deſires and endeavours were ſo remarkable in that family, whether hee prayed againſt ſinnes or ſorrowes, or ſought unto God for grace and good things; that ſeldome did they meet againe to pray, but they had ſome new and freſh cauſe of praiſe and thankſgiving unto him that had heard their prayers?Having alwayes matter of praiſe, as well as cauſe of prayer. A godly and an holy courſe in prayer, which I wiſh, were as well performed, as it is well worthy to bee obſerved: Namely, Not only to conſider wiſely what we ask in prayer, but to obſerve carefully how wee ſpeed after it: for in ſo doing, as we ſhould ſtill be ſtirred up and provoked to new praiſes, ſo ſhould wee be quickned and encouraged, to ſeeke unto our God againe, by continuing or renewing the ſame, or the like prayers and requeſts unto him. This was the practice of holy David, that man after Gods owne heart, who having called upon God,Pſal. 41.1. did patiently wait upon him for hearing, and diligently obſerved what ſucceſſe he had, and (as hee found the fruit of his prayers) did thereupon come againe into Gods preſence, with new and freſh praiſes,Pſal. 66.17.19.20. I called unto the Lord (ſaith he) with my mouth, and he was exalted with my tongue: Ʋerily God hath heard me, he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Bleſſed bee God which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.