The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 42
CHAP. XLII.
NOW as ſometimes it commeth to paſſe that in the faireſt calme, there may ariſe a violent and ſuddene ſtorme, to ſcatter,A ſudden ſtorme. and diſperſe ſuch veſſels as have laine for a while at quiet rode in the harbor: So did it fall out by the Lords diſpoſing hand, in the mids of all theſe their ſweet comforts, to ſend amongſt them a tempeſt of griefe,VponUpon the death of his deare wife. and ſorrow by the death of this Gent-gracious wife & yokefellow which occaſioned not long after a diſſolving of his family, and a diſperſing of the whole Company.
The loſſe of this Gentlewoman was ſo much the more grievous, both to her husband, and the whole family, becauſe of the great help and comfort they had all by her. She lived 10 yeares with this Gentleman her husband, a faithfull helper, and a fruitfull Vyne bearing unto him 9 Children ſons and daughters, and continuing with her husband in great peace and love, a prudent wife, and wiſe fellow-governor within his houſe, much reſpected and beloved,A great affliction to the whole family. Prov. 31.10, 11, 12 Pro. v 31.26.27, 28, 29. Her vertues. not only of her owne, but of all theſe Gentlemen and Gentlewomen, which did Table with them. Who can find a vertuous woman, for her price is far above Rubyes? The heart of her husband doth ſafely truſt in her, ſo that he ſhall have not need of poyle: She will do him good, and not evill all the dayes of her life. She openeth her mouth in wiſdome, and the Law of grace is in her lips. She looketh well to the wayes of her houſhold, and eateth not the bread of idleneſſe. Her children ariſe up and call her bleſſed, her husband alſo, and he praiſeth her, many daughters have done vertuouſly, but thou excelleſt them all. A man may truly ſay without either fraud or flattery, that in ſome good meaſure, Such a woman, ſuch a wife, ſuch a mother, ſuch a governour, was this Gentlewoman in her owne houſe and family.Her due pr…iſes. F…ctum est pr…cv…ſiſsimum Margaritum. Virens ſmaragdi gemma contrita eſt, Hieron. ad Para. deobitu Paulme uxoris. She was alſo in her ſelfe, of a gracious and amiable diſpoſition, having an humble heart, and holy affections, beautified, and decked with that ornament of the hid man of the heart, a meek, quiet ſpirit, which is in the ſight of God of great price. Yea ſhe was one that was ripe in knowledg & rich in grace, full of Faith & good Works: One that held communion with God and the godly in all duties of Piety and Charity. And ſo continuing (as ſhe did) faithfull unto death, ſhee obtained what ſhe deſired, and expected, the crown of life.
What were the heavy conſequents of this affliction in his Family, hee hath himſelfe ſet down, and that in ſo patheticall a maner, that I know ſome that could yet never read the words, but their heart was full of ſorrow, and their eyes full of teares in the reading of them.
His own words be theſe. But when it pleaſed God to take away my wife from me, then all mourned for her loſſe: As alſo in reſpect that all my tablers muſt now part, being about the number of 21. my ſon John and his, being then with me. But we did ſtill ſo accord, and ſo loth wee were to depart a ſunder,The heavy parting of his Tablers. that I requeſted them to ſtay with me that quarter more, from January to Aprill, which was very thankfully accepted, which quarter we had much comfort together, but mourning oftentimes to think of the quarters end. And the laſt day ſitting at dinner together, all ſo full of heavines, that in effect, there was no meat eaten. So as I was forced to hide my ſelfe,All full of griefe. and could not take leave with them, all being ſo full of griefe, &c.
When Jonathan and David, whoſe hearts were linked together in holy love, were orced to part, and were now ready to take leave one with another: It is ſaid in the ſtory, that they kiſſed one anther,1 Sam. 20.41. and wept one with another, untill David exceeded. It was not much otherwiſe with this Company that had lived under one roof in ſo great love and peace together, when now they muſt part and take leave one of another, they kiſſed one another, and wept one with another, untill M. Bruen himſelfe exceeded.M. Bruen himſelfe exceeded. And ſo exceeded, that he was glad then to hide himſelfe to conceale the extremity of his griefe, and ſince in recording of it, to draw a vaile over it with an &c. as the Painter did over Agamemnons face, when hee knew that his penſill could not expreſſe the heavy ſorrows of a fathers heart, in the loſſe of Iphigenia, ſo deare a daughter.
Pectoris vulaus tepore & ratione curatur, Hieron. ad Pammach. Time and reaſon ſtrengthened by grace, will moderate paſſions.That which men ſay will avayle much with a naturall man for allaying the heate, and repreſſing the violence of griefe, and ſorrow, time and reaſon, being now more ſtrengthened by grace, and well qualified by Chriſtian wiſdome, and moderation, brought this Gentleman to a good meaſure of patience, and contentment in bearing, and breaking through this affliction, which hee ſaw the hand of the Lord had laid upon him.
For now he began to frame his affections for a ſingle life, and to draw his Family into a narrower compaſſe, reſolving to retire himſelfe, and to live more privatly if it were but for a ſeaſon, for the benefit of his children, which the Lord had given him.