The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 43
CHAP. XLIII.
WHat hee did herein, upon what adviſe, to what end and with what ſucceſſe, to others, and himſelfe, both for ſoule and body, I think it not amiſſe, to tell you at large in his own words.
Then I continued (ſaith hee) a ſingle life five yeares and a halfe, or thereabouts. Two yeares in mine own houſe; In which time, that man of God, good M.D. came unto me, who enquiring of my eſtate, I told him I did owe about an hundred pounds, and had 4 daughters and divers ſons. He therefore adviſed me to give over my houſe, and to go to Cheſter and to live there a ſeaſon, which I yeelded unto, M. Bifeild then being there, a godly Preacher, and very powerfull in his Miniſtery. And there I lived 3 yeares, having the company of M. Bifeild and his wife, every Wedenſday and Fryday to dinner, which were his Lecture dayes, with ſome other good company beſides. In which 3 yeares, it pleaſed God to ſtir up the hearts of many neighbours to come every evening to prayer with us, and ſome every morning. My ſiſter Hardware, and her Family, ſhee being a widow, came conſtantly, having a convenient way through her garden, and often with her many friends and neighbours. Theſe our meetings were traduced by ſome, and excepted againſt by others, and yet after a while being well known, what they were, no fault was found. In this time, It pleaſed the Lord Almighthy to give a great bleſſing, All praiſe unto his holy Name only, Many converted, and many confirmed, and many convinced. And many could I name, but I ſpare. Let God alone be glorified & magnified for ever, that by ſuch weake inſtruments doth manifeſt ſuch great power, grace and mercy. In theſe 3 yeares God gave me alſo a great earthly bleſſing.
1 I paid all my debt.
2 I marryed my two daughters that were marriageable, and paid their marriage portions.
3 I preferted a ſon or two.
4 I maintained the poore in my own Pariſh in the Countrey, allowing all the increaſe of my 2 mils in Stapl. for that end.
5 I mainteined the poore in Cheſt. both at my gates, and otherwiſe weekly as I was rated. All humble and hearty praiſe and thanks be given to God, Father, Sonne and Holy Ghoſt, for evermore, Amen. Then I returned home, and built my Study. And tooke to wiſe Margaret, through Gods bleſſing, and by her one daughter dead, & one ſon living. Al praiſe to God.
There are divers things in this relation very remarkable, which may not well be paſſed over in ſilence; tending ſo much both to his juſt commendation, and to our information, and edification in the Faith and feare of God,
1 As firſt, that, Although the Lord was pleaſed ſundry times to exchaunge his comforts with croſſes, yet was he never changed, nor moved from his ſteadfaſtneſſe.
2 Secondly, in all his afflictions he was willing to be humbled, but never dejected nor diſcouraged, having learned in what eſtate ſo ever he was, therewith to be content.
3 Thirdly, that where ever he was at home or abroad, in city or countrey, his deſires, and endeavours, were ever bent to doe good, remembring the words of our Lord Jeſus, that it is a more bleſſed thing to give than to receive.
4 Fourthly, that where ever he went, whatſoever he did, the preſence of the Lord Jeſus was with him, and his good hand upon him, to proſper him in all his wayes, and to ſtrengthen his hand and heart in well doing.
5 Fifthly, that in every place he became a nurſing father to the children of God,Eſay 22.23.24. whether they were babes, or ſuch as were of riper age in Chriſt: yea he was as a naile of the Sanctuary, faſtened in a ſure place, upon which men did hang all veſſels of ſmall quantitie, from the veſſels of cups, even to all the veſſels of flaggons, as the Prophet ſpeaketh.
6 Sixthly, that notwithſtanding all his great expenſes, both in city and countrey, in maintaining the poore, and entertaining of good people, yet his eſtate was not impaired, but increaſed, the bleſſing of God inlarging his ſubſtance and his ſtore, according as it is written, Godlineſſe is profitable for all things, having the promiſe both of this life and of that which is to come.
7 Seventhly, that in all bleſſings and comforts, whether corporall, or ſpirituall, upon himſelfe, or upon others by his meanes, his heart (taſting and reliſhing the love of God in them) was marvelouſly enlarged in rendering and returning all thanks and praiſe unto God alone, even for the leaſt of them.
Thus farre hath this worthy Gentleman holpen us to ſpin out the thread of his owne life, with his owne fingers, and to make up (as it were) the web thereof with his owne hands. But as the cunning and curious workmanſhip of a cloth of Arras, is but little ſeene and diſcerned, while it is in the Loomes, or when it lyeth folded, and rolled up together; but when it is opened in a faire light, diſplayed at large, and expoſed to the view of the beholders, then the art and skill of the work man doth more evidently appeare, in great beauty, and variety of knots and flowers, Pomegranets and Lillies, pictures and pourtraitures of princes and great perſonages, and the like. Even ſo the ſtory of this Gentlemans life, thus woven and wrapped up together, though it containe many excellent things, of great value and worth in it, yet cannot the beautie and glory of his particular gifts and graces, duties and ſervices, bee ſo well diſcerned and obſerved, unleſſe it be yet a little farther opened and unfolded, and ſet forth to the view of ſuch men, as deſire and delight to look into ſuch things.