The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 48 – Chapter 49
CHAP. XLVIII.
His private invocation:THe third followeth, viz. His Religious invocation of the Name of God every day. Now although it be true that he did very conſtantly performe this duty every day, morning and evening with his Family (as formerly wee have heard) yet did he not hold that ſufficient for himſelfe, unleſſe he did open his heart, and poure out his ſoule in private before the Lord, making his requeſts known unto him,Phil. 4.6. in all manner of ſupplications, with Thankſgiving.
And this he deſired and endevored to perform, according to the Apoſtles direction;1 Tim. 2.8. In every place lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting, that is, in faith and love.
For hee did not confine himſelfe for his private Prayers unto any one place,Not confined to one place. neither within doores, nor without, but ever tooke his fitteſt opportunity, as time and place might beſt move him, or leade him unto this Duty. Following herein the holy example of Chriſt, and of other holy men, ſetting themſelves a part for this ſervice, ſometimes in and upon the higher roomes of the houſe with Peter, ſometimes in the field with Iſaac, Acts 10.9. Gen. 24.63: Luc. 22: 39, 40. Eph. 3.13 14. Nehem. 2.4.ſometimes in the mount, and ſometimes in the garden, with Chriſt Ieſus; ſometimes in the Priſon, with Paul; and ſometimes in the Palace, with Nehemiale; ſometimes upon his journey with Iacob, & ſometimes at the end of it,Gen. 28.20. Gen. 24.12. Pſal. 6.6.9. Act. 10.30. with Eliezer; ſomtimes on his bed, with David and ſomtimes in his cloſet, with Cornelius.
If he were in his own houſe or about home, he had divers places which he interchangeably uſed for this purpoſe, becauſe hee would not bee too much obſerved to frequent one place, leſt he ſhould draw himſelf into ſome ſuſpition of vanity or hypocriſie. Hee had variety of Cloſets, Studies, Chambers, and other convenient roomes if hee were within: and if he went abroad, he had his Gardens, Orchards, Arbors, Groves, Woods and Fields, Walkes and Shades, where he did delight to ſpeak and commune with his beſt friend, and to ſeek the face and favor, help and ſuccour of his heavenly Father, in and through the mediation of his Son Chriſt Ieſus.
And as he was choice of the place, ſo was hee carefull of the time which he conſtantly ſet apart every day for his private prayer,His time for private praver. Fſal 119.164. Seven times a day. and praiſe: 7 times a day did hee reverently and conſcionably performe this duty, cauſing his prayers to aſcend as incenſe, and the lifting up of his hands to be as an Evening Sacrifice.
The ſeverall ſeaſons and times he tooke were theſe: The firſt in the morning, before any of his family were ſtirring, being uſually firſt up in the houſe,Pſa 55.27.7 and that both Summer and Winter. The ſecond was before his breake-faſt after prayer in his family. The third was immediatly before dinner. The fourth a little while after dinner. The fiſt a little before ſupper. The ſixt not long after ſupper. And the ſeventh, a little before hee tooke his Chamber to go to his reſt. Neither was he only ſo plentifull for the number of his ſpirituall Devotions, as he was (by the grace of God) powerfull in the manner, meaſure, end, and iſſue of them.Powerful in prayer. Rom. 8.26, 27.1 Iohn 5.14. I am. 5.16, 2 Cor. 12.7. For being full of Faith and of the holy Ghoſt, he could ſpeake unto God by his own ſpirit, in his owne words, according to his owne Will, and in the name of his own Son: And ſo we know he could not but ſpeake wel, and ſpeede well, either finding that which hee craved and ſought for at Gods hands, or obtaining more than all that he could deſire or deſerve: My grace is ſufficient for thee. And herein we are the rather induced thus to thinke, becauſe uſually, his prayer was fortified by Faith, ſupported by Hope, inflamed with Zeale, beautified with Humility, purified by Sincerity, and eſtabliſhed by Conſtancy. Now unto his Private Praying, he did uſually upon ſome extraordinary occaſion (his own, or others) adjoyne private Faſting,His private Faſting. which hee was very frequent and fervent in, and that with ſo great auſterity, that he did much weaken his body, as well as afflict his ſoule thereby, as ſometimes Timothy did in the like caſe, 1 Tim. 5.23
Euſebius hath reported & recorded it,Euſeb. &c: Hiſt. lib. 2. cap. 23. of Iames the Iuſt, that with often and continuall bowing of his knees before the Lord, for himſelfe and the people, in earneſt & fervent prayer for remiſſion of their ſins, he hath ſo loſt the ſenſe and feeling of his knees, that they were as hard, and ſo as ſenſles, as the knees of a Camell. I will not compare this Iohn, with that Iames; neither for ſanctity of heart, nor for auſterity of life.Tender? prayers and hard knees. But for their Affections and Actions, Prayers and knees, tenderneſſe of the one, and hardnes of the other. I thinke no man may juſtly put them far aſunder, if he ever knew how well they did herein agree together.Tuis oculis durities de genibus camelorum in illo Sancto Aſellae corpuſeulo, prae orandi frequentia, obcalluiſſe perſpecta eſt. Hieron. ad Marcellum de laudibus Aſellae.
The matter of his private prayers.Now in theſe his private devotions, his deſires and endeavours were principally bent, to ſearch his heart, and to examine his life, to confeſſe and bewayle his ſpeciall ſins and infirmities, craving pardon for them, and power againſt them.
And as he found any thing to bee amiſſe in his Family by any tranſgreſſion, or affliction, hee brought it in prayer before the Lord, to procure ſome help, and healing of the ſame from his hand.
Here alſo did he mourne for the ſins of Sion, Sins of Sion. Ezek. 9.4.and take to heart the afflictions of Ioſeph, and deſolations of Ieruſalem. Here did he bemone and bewayle the common and groſſe ſins of the Time,Sins of the Time. Pſa. 119.136. and afflict his heart for the barrenneſſe, or backſliding of many profeſſors of Religion, for their embracing of the world, and forſaking of their firſt love.Praiſe and Thankſgiving. Here did he alſo rejoyce in the Lord, and praiſe his holy Name, for earthly and heavenly bleſſings beſtowed upon him, and ſometimes for great deliverances which hee had wrought for him.
And thus did he converſe with his God in this third Duty of Prayer and Prayſe, in the Invocation of Gods Name every day.
CHAP. XLIX.
NOw followeth the fourth, which was his holy Imitation of his heavenly Father every day.
And this hee endevoured, by conforming himſelfe unto his Image, in expreſſing the Properties, Vertues, Affections, and Actions of him that had begot him, and called him to be conformable to the Image of his Son Chriſt Ieſus.
To this end hee dayly laboured to be more and more renewed in the ſpirit of his mind, in knowledge, righteouſneſſe,Eph: 4.24. Col. 3.10. and holineſſe of Truth according to the Image of him that created him.
And this hee knew was the Duty of all Gods obedient Children, to bee holy as hee is Holy in all manner of Converſation,1 Pet. 1.14, 15, 16. Lev. 11. 44. becauſe it is written: Bee yee Holy, for I am Holy.
This hee knew alſo was charged upon us,Mat. 5.45, 46 by our Saviour Chriſt Ieſus, that in all our Affections and Actions, we ſhould behave our ſelves like the children of our Heavenly Father, and labour to reſemble him, in doing good unto all, hurt unto none,Amicos diligere omnium eſt, inimicos autem ſolorum Christianorum: Tertull lib. ad Scapull Cap. 2. yea in doing good unto the bad, as as well as to the good, and to our enemies as well as to our friends,Mat. 5.48. Luke 6.36. Rom. 2.4. ſtriving to be perfect as he is perfect; mercifull as hee is mercifull, righteous as hee is righteous, wiſe as he is wiſe, patient as he is patient, faithfull as he is faithfull, and endeavouring to hate iniquity, which he hateth, to love righteouſneſſe, which he loveth, to delight in the Saints, in whom he delighteth; and to hate the wicked,Pſalm 5: 5: Heb. 1.9. 2 Cor. 3. laſt whom his ſoule abhorreth.
After this manner did this gratious Gentle. ſet the Lord alwayes before his eyes, and following this bleſſed patterne and example of his Heavenly Father, with all godly care and good Conſcience; and ſo with open face, as in a Glaſſe the glory of the Lord, he was tranſlated into his Image, from glory to glory; even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
And thus have we declared unto you the firſt of thoſe three generall heads, propoſed for the further opening and manifeſting of the vertues of his life; viz. his holy converſing with God, which conſiſted in his Meditation, Obſervation of Gods Mercies and Iudgements, Invocation of his Name in Prayer and Praiſe, and Imitation of his bleſſed example in his Properties and Affections, Words and Works.