The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 54
CHAP. LIV.
HE was alſo (being taught and ſeaſoned with the ſame wiſedome which is from above)foreign, eaſie to be intreated, of an ingenuous facility,Iam. 3.1… 4 Eaſie to be intreated. either to be perſwaded to any thing that was good, or to be diſſwaded from any thing that was evill.
He needed not many reaſons to preſſe him to that which was reaſon, nor many retractives to draw him backe from that which he ſaw was otherwiſe.
An honourable Judge in open Court,Iudge W. his teſtimony of M. Bruen. when complaint was made of ſome wrong which he did to a neighbour-Gentleman, by a water-courſe about his Mills (out of that good opinion which he had and held of him) gave him this worthy teſtimony: I cannot thinke but that you wrong M. Bruen; I will undertake for him, make him but ſenſible of any errour or wrong which he hath done you, and he ſhall both willingly of himſelfe acknowledge it, and make you double amends for it.Iob 31.13, 14. He durſt not deſpiſe the judgement of his man-ſervant, nor the cauſe of his maidſervant when they contended with him. For what then ſhould he doe when God riſeth up, and when he viſiteth, what ſhall he auſwer him.?
Nay, that which is more, for ſuch of his ſervants as were religious and wiſe, he would give them good leave and liberty to adviſe with him, as Abraham dealt with Eliezer, and Cornelius with his ſervants, to produce their reaſons, to perſwade, or diſſwade, as occaſion did require, and. (if there were cauſe) would he rather follow their opinion, than his owne, and ſo ſuffer them eaſily to prevaile with him.
So did Naaman the Aſſyrian hearken willingly to the advice of his ſervants,2 King 5.12. perſwading him with ſo reverent termes of honour and reſpect, and upon ſo good reaſon, to go and waſh himſelfe ſeven times in Iordan, that he might be healed.
So did good David yeeld himſelfe overcome by the ſeaſonable and wholeſome counſell of Abigail, 1 Sam. 25 32, 33.diffwading him by found reaſons from ſhedding of blood ſo raſhly, without any great cauſe, in ſo great a rage and paſſion, againſt Naball, who by his churliſh anſwer and behaviour, had provoked him to wrath againſt him. And thus might this Gentlemans neighbours, tenants, friends, adverſaries, finde him enſie to be intreated, (and ſo they did) ingiving, and forgiving, bearing and forbearing, borrowing and lending, in doing any good, or reſtraining any evill, as they had occaſion to make triall of him. A good proofe hereof may be had in this one inſtance following.
There was a Portion of money, a matter of forty ſhillings given to the uſe of the Pariſh, and ſo put into the hands of ſome honeſt men to that end; but through ſome neglect, as the men failed, the money melted away by little and little, and was at laſt quite waſted and gone.He eaſily intreated to his coſt For redreſſe and repaire hereof, M. Bruen was intreated to doe ſomething by his owne, or by ſome other means, even as he thought good. And here he ſhewed himſelf eaſie to be intreated, for he made anſwer preſently, I meane not to preſſe upon any mans purſe for this matter; and ſo tooke to his owne purſe, and gave them forty ſhillings for ſupply of this want.But ſome ſo hard they will give nothing A matter (I confeſſe) of no great moment, yet ſuch, as if many of our Gentlemen (of farre greater meanes) were intreated unto, A man might ſooher wring forty pottles of water out of a flint, or marble ſtone, or draw forty pints of wine out of a Church-wall, than get, I ſay, not forty ſhillings, but forty pence, from any of their hands, for any Pariſh profit, or Church uſes. Yea they are ſo ſtiffe and obſtinate,No, nor pay their ov…ne … ti…. 2. that they will not be intreated to pay their owne layes, and duties, whereof they are convinced to their faces, that they wrong the pariſh in detaining of them.