The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 57
CHAP. LVII.
NOw as hee was full of theſe fruits of charity and mercy towards rich or poore;His fruits of faith and love to others alſo. In his harmony in judgement with the beſt. ſo was he plentifull alſo in good fruits of faith and love in his ſympathy with the godly, and in his antipathy againſt the profane of the world.
1 He held ever a gracious harmony in judgment and opinion with all ſuch, both Divines and Profeſſors of Religion, as were moſt found and entire in the knowledge and acknowledgement of the Truth. And this he did with great confidence and reſolution,3 Ep. Ioh. 4. and with much rejoycing in the Lord, as he ſaw the truth to proſper and flouriſh in his dayes.
2 He had alſo a religious ſympathy in affection with the Churches and children of God in every eſtate and condition.In his ſympathy with the godly in every condition. Rom. 12.15. Heb. 13.3 Pſa 122.6 Pſal. 137.5, 6.2 Cor. 11.28, 29. Heavy newes of the Church did much offect him He had learned of the bleſſed Apoſtle, that it was his duty to rejoyce with them that rejoyce, and to mourne with them that mourne. He remembred the afflictions of Ioſeph even in the midſt of all his owne comforts, and contentments, and preferred the peace of Zion, and the proſperity of Ieruſalem before his chiefeſt joy. The care of all the Churches about him was daily and continually upon him, ſo that he might ſay as Paul ſaid, Who is weake, and Jam not weake? Who is offended, and I burne not? This fruit of his compaſſion and tender affection to Gods children, did more eſpecially appeare, when he heard of heavy newes out of Bohemia, Hungary, Germany, the Palatinate, &c. He was then ſo affected therewithall, as good Nehemiah was, when he heard by Hanani, one of his brethren, that the remnant of the Iewes were in great affliction, that the wall of Ieruſalem was broken downe,And afflict him alſo. and the gates thereof were burnt with fire: For then he ſate downe, and wept, and mourned certaine dayes, and faſted, and prayed before the God of heaven.
3 It did alſo no leſſe evidently appeare,His compaſſion in viſiting the ſick; by his diligent and carefull viſiting of the ſicke, and ſuch perſons and families as had ſome more heavie and extraordinary hand of God upon them. He was held and reputed one of the beſt ſpirituall Phyſitians in all the countrey: If any were troubled in conſcience, afflicted in ſoule for ſin, moleſted by Satan, terrified by Gods judgements: Happy then was he that could get M. Bruen to come unto him: his very preſence was ſome eaſe and refreſhing unto them; as to that godly and worthy Preacher M. Dickons, on his death-bed. His godly exhortations, wholeſome admonitions, divine inſtructions, ſweet words of comfort; but eſpecially his faithfull and fervent prayers, were many times, as ſo many gracious remedies againſt their grievous miſeries and maladies. And to ſpeak as the truth is, as his gifts were rare, and paines great, in the performance of theſe duties, ſo was the iſſue and ſucceſſe thereof (through the bleſſing of God) many times anſwerable, and effectuall, either for ſome full releaſe, or ſome reliefe in due ſeaſon. Hereof he hath witneſſes enow, over all the countrey, and many he hath written downe, of ſuch and ſuch mercies, obtained of God by his good meanes, for ſuch and ſuch perſons: the glory where of he doth ever in great humility aſcribe unto the Lord, giving him all hearty thankes, and praiſe, that would manifeſt his great mercy, grace, power, and goodneſſe, to ſo weake creatures, by ſo weak meanes.
His antipathy againſt profaneneſſe.Now as he held a holy Sympathy with the godly, ſo had he a great antipathy againſt the profane, both perſons and faſhions, cuſtomes and courſes of the world. He knew well, that the faſhion of this world paſſeth away, and the luſt thereof, but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever.
He knew well alſo, that not onelyonly he himſelfe, but all true Chriſtians are forbid by the holy Apoſtle,In gariſh faſhions. to faſhion or conforme themſelves to this world, and injoyned to be transformed in the ſpirit of their minde, that they may prove what is that good, that acceptable and perfect will of God.
And therefore he could never be brought into any love, or liking of the gariſh, fooliſh, vaine and new-fangle faſhions of the world in attire, or other ridiculous geſtures, and formall complements of the profane of this world, but did in his heart abhorre them, and in his life utterly ſhun and avoid them.
Being once at an high Sheriffes feaſt, where there were ſome Lords, Spirituall and Temporall, as they are called, and many other Knights and gentlemen of great place, there was an health begun by one of the Lords,In profane cuſtomes, as in drinking of healths. to the Prince, which after the manner, was entertained and maintained with a great deale of ceremoniall ſolemnity; As it went along, and drew neare unto him (many obſerving what he would ſay or doe) he caſt out in a moderate manner ſome words of diſlike to this effect: Here is a ſolemne ſervice to the Prince, yet did he never require it, nor will ever give you any thankes for it. And when one preſſed him to pledge and drinke to the Princes health: he made this milde and gentle anſwer onelyonly: You may drinke to his health, and I will pray for his health, and drink for mine owne,Nos cramus pro ſalute imperatoris, &c Tertull. ad Scapul.c. 2. and ſo I wiſh you may doe for yours. And ſo he put it off, and paſſed it over, never ſorting with them, nor yeelding to any one of their ſolemne ceremonies in that act. He did beare a more generous minde, than to be brought in ſubjection unto every idle fancy and foolery, or to conforme himſelfe unto the humours and cuſtomes of profane men.
The policy and power of Satan in healthing.Certainly in this drinking of healths as now it is practiſed at our gentlemens tables, there is the very power and policy of Satan ſet a work in them; as to take up the time of their repaſt, with ſuch vanities and provocations to ſin, and to draw them to delight themſelves in ſuch baſe works of the fleſh, after the humour and pleaſure of carnall men, that all memory and mention of God or goodneſſe may bee kept out, and that no ſpeech of the word or works of God at all may be had amongſt them.M. Bolton his Directions to wilke with God. pag. 200, 201, 202, 203, &c. Had I not beene well prevented by the godly labours of a reverent and worthy Divine, and my ancient and faithfull friend, M. Bolton, who hath ſpoken much both out of the Fathers and other good Authors, againſt this drinking of healths, and that to ſo very good effect and purpoſe; I had taken a little more pains at this time, to provide ſome rods of rebuke for this ſinne, purpoſing to whip it and ſcourge it round about the table, in the ſight of our bowzing gentleman, that take ſuch and ſo much pleaſure in it.
But now I forbeare and referre them to his Booke, praying them to read adviſedly what he hath written learnedly of this matter.