The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 58
CHAP. LVIII.
NOw to proceed, As this godly Gentleman had, and held an antipathy againſt all vaine and fooliſh faſhions and humours of the profane men of the world; ſo did he eſpecially againſt the profane cuſtomes and corruptions uſually maintained in great houſes,His antipathy againſt the profane cuſtomes and corruptions of great houſes. He offereth a remedy. ſo as he had an holy indignation againſt them, and would not ſpare (where he had any hope to ſpeed) to admoniſh his friends by word or writing, for the reformation of the ſame. He knew it was written, Thou ſhalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, thou ſhalt in any wiſe rebuke thy neighbour, and not ſuffer ſinne upon him. An evident proofe of his carefulneſſe and faithfulneſſe in this kinde, he hath left us under his own hand, in a portion and part of a letter directed to a Gent. one of his neare coſens: His words be theſe.
The compariſon I uſed was with M. Wilbraham of Woodhey, to whom God gave repentance two or three yeares before his death by the Miniſtery of my B. H.
His godly Letter for Chriſtian admonition and reformationI have often compared you, Coſen, to Thomas Wilbraham, whom the people of God think to be in heaven. For in many things you were like him, but now you are broken off, and in many things differ from him.
1 As firſt, he loved the Aſſembly of Gods people, on the holy Sabbath, forenoone and afternoone, (But you doe not) though his body were as unwildy as yours is:
2 He loved often to communicate,His good opinion and teſtimony of Th…. wilb. Eſquire. which you doe not.
3 Hee loved and often deſired the company of the godly into his houſe, which you doe not, but rather glory to have your houſe made a through-fare of profane perſons.
4 He would have his family publikely catechiſed by a godly Miniſter, which you will not.
5 He had every day a portion of holy Scripture read, and prayer morning and evening, and often ſinging of Pſalmes, which you have not.
6 He abandoned and kept out of his houſe, all roguiſh Players, which you doe not.
7 He was uſually at the publike exerciſes of religion at Torperly, and often at Northwich, which you are not.
8 He had a liberall diſpoſition to releeve the godly in diſtreſſe, which you have not.
9 Although hee had the world at will, as you have, yet he gloried not in it, but honoured God with his ſubſtance, which you doe not.
10 He did grow in knowledge and in holineſſe, with an hatred of ſinne, and love to Gods ſervants and children, which you do not.
I feare, Coſen, you are in a Lethargie, or that the Alarum Bell of your conſcience is ſilenced. Take heed; It is a dangerous thing to grieve the Spirit of God, by which you are ſealed to the day of redemption. Try your ſelfe: for if the Spirit be not quenched, it will checke your conſcience of all the premiſſes, and of many more ſecret ſins, which do accompany ſuch open and groſſe faults and offences. If the Spirit have any life in you, it will ſtirre up your heart often to pray, and that with teares, for the reformation of theſe things. You were beſt to looke well about you, that you may work outs your owne ſalvation with foare and trembling. Bro. 9.8.9.10.12.
His indignation againſt ſinne.This Letter is a good evidence of his holy indignation againſt groſſe ſinnes in great houſes, and of his good affection and godly care to draw his friends out of the danger, and from the contagion of them.
His love and care to reclaim ſinners. His joy in ſuch as were converted.It is alſo a worthy and honourable teſtimony of the gifts and graces, of the effectuall reformation and godly converſation of that worthily honoured Gentleman, Thomas Wilbraham of Woodhey Eſquire, whoſe name and memoriall he hath thus ſprinkled and perfumed with ſo due and true praiſes.
And here, O that the Lord would be pleaſed to grant me the prayer of my heart, and the deſire of my ſoule! That the heires of this Gentlemans body would view their faces in their fathers glaſſe, and diligently ſee and conſider how neare they come unto him in the power and practice of Religion: and that where they ſhall find themfelves to come ſhort of him, they would ſeriouſly addreſſe themſelves to expreſſe the vertues of him that is gone before them,Icr. 22.15. 16, 17. and carefully endeavour to follow the gracious patterne and preſident which he hath left unto them.