The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI.
THe ſecond followeth which was his diligent,His obſervation of Gods works. Pſa. 64.7, 8, 9, 10. Pſa. 66.3.5. and carefull obſervation of the ways & works, mercies and judgments of the Lord.
It was the antient profeſſion, and practiſe of the people of God, to waite upon the Lord and to obſerve his dealing with the juſt, and with the wicked in the world. The way of the Just is uprightneſſe, thou moſt upright doest weigh the path of the juſt. Iſ. 26.7, 8.Yea in the way of thy judgments, O Lord have we waited for thee, the deſire of our ſoule is to thy Name,Ver. 9. and to the remembrance of thee. With my ſoule have I deſired thee in the night, yea with my ſpirit within me wil I ſeek thee early, for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learne righteouſneſſe. Let favour be ſhewed to the wicked,Ver. 10. yet will he not learne righteouſnes in the land of uprightneſſe will hee deale unjuſtly, and will not behold the majeſty of the Lord. See the memorable judgment of God againſt Vigetius Sa…ni…us, Claud. Herminianus, obſerved by Tertullians Scapul. A book of Rememb. lob 35.24, 25.Much after this manner did this faithfull Servant of Chriſt raiſe up his thoughts and quicken his ſoule to a diligent and due obſervation of the ways and works of God, both in his mercies towards the godly and in his judgements againſt the wicked.
To which end and purpoſe he hath obſerved, and recorded divers and ſundry of the workes of the Lord, which he calleth a declaration of ſome of the works of the Lord, to the praiſe of his glorious Name, power, and mercy: adding and annexing that admonition and exhortation out of Iob, Remember that thou magnifie his works, which men behòld, Every man may ſee it, man may behold in a far off.
To ſet down all ſuch works of God, as he hath obſerved,See ſome examp. of Gods mercies to Chriſtians obſerved by Tertull. ad Sca c. 4. Some mercies of God obſerved. I now cannot; to paſſe over all in ſilence, I may not, I meane not; And therefore, to give a taſte of ſome for the clearing of this point, and the farther ſatisfaction of ſuch as delight therein, I think it very meet and convenient at this preſent.
To obſerve Gods mercies, faith he, with all humble praiſe and thankſgiving to God only.
Some few yeares before my brother Hardware dyed, he had R.K. to his ſervant, who is now an In-holder in Cheſter. The ſaid R. was (as many thought) bewitched, and waxed weaker and weaker. So as my Brother Hardware ſent unto mee, and my family to ſpend a day with him, in prayer and faſting: At that time I had good M. Wats the Preacher with me,To R. K. his ſick neighbour…. whom I brought with me, and others of my family to the Peele, and there we found the ſaid R.K. exceeding ſick and weake, and like an Anatomy of death, nothing to look to, but skin and bones, and not likely to live a day; all hope of life being gone. He was brought, and laid in a bed in the chamber where we prayed, And in the ſame evening hee began to amend, and the next morning did walke abroad, and the third day began to be ſo ſtrong, that he fel to his work and labour, with much rejoycing to the Family. All laud and praiſe to God therefore.To his Setvant.
Anno Domini 1601, and in the Summer time, John Robinſon my ſervant, going with his teame, the cart loaden, and he falling by ſome occaſion, the wheele went over his legge, being iron bound, yet hurt him not any thing at all. Laus Deo.
Anno Domini 1602 and in Iuly, my ſon Iohn, To his Son in danger.being in Peakſmoore, took up a ſeith to ſee how he could mow, and the ſcith entered in at his ſtocking upon the ſhin bone, and followed his leg, ſhaving the haire, and came out at the backſide of his leg, and toucht no fleſh nor skinne. Laus Deo.
The ſame Month and in the ſame Medow, To a Labourer.One caſting a pikell up and down before him, and behind him; one being behind him, the two greins of the pikell ran on both ſides of his leg, and hurt him not. Hallelujah.
Memorand. in Anno 1613, and in the Hey-Harveſt, One Richard Rogers, Some Iudgments of Godremarkable.that dwelt in my farme at Wimble Strafford, under Maſter Thomas Puleſton my tenant there; ſeeing two godly perſons going in the way, ſaid to one with him; Now will I dance and ſwagger, and ſweare to anger and make mad yonder two Puritans.Nö ſint inulta eſſe diu Divinū Numen ſcelera, vid Herb. departioda popelo à m…ribus devorato, Hiſt Pol. lib. 1 cap. 11. Vide ſimile de Hatto E. Mog apud O. a, mag. lib. 17. c 21. And did ſo, to the great grievance of thoſe two godly perſons. And preſently the revenging hand of God was upon him; ſo that this wicked fellow fell ſo ſick, that he was carried home in a Cart, and within three dayes died moſt fearefully. All glory to God.
Theſe are ſome of thoſe Memorable mercies, and Iudgments of the Lord, which he hath carefully obſerved, and recorded: I will let all the reſt alone, ſaving one, which being the moſt remarkable of all other; hee hath taken greateſt paines to obſerve, and ſet down in all the parts and paſſages of it.
The hand of God upon the Boy at Northwich.This was concerning the boy of Northwich, his name Thomas Harriſon, about 11, or 12 yeares old, who was ſo ſtrangely and wonderfully afflicted and tormented, that many held him to bee really poſſeſſed with a Devill. Others thought he was bewitched: Some aſcribed all to naturall cauſes, few did endevour to ſee and acknowledge (as this Gentleman did) that though Satan might have a finger,Satans Malice, Gods Mercy. yet the Lord had a chiefe hand in this Iudgment, and that where Satan would ſhew himſelfe cruell and malicious, to vex and deſtroy a poore child, there the Lord was pleaſed to manifeſt, and declare himſelfe to be mercifull, and gracious, in ſuſteining and preſerving of him.