The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 59
CHAP. LIX.
ANother, one of the laſt,Fruits of mercy towards his Tenants. upon the leaſt of thoſe good fruits, where with this goody Gentleman (of whom we write) was filled, was his mercifull dealing with his Tenants, towards whom hee did ever beare a very tender, and compaſſionate reſpect, and regard. He did not grind the faces of the poore, by great fines, nor cruſh their bones by heary rents and rackes, and ſometimes three yeares rent together, at the marriage of a daughter,Amos 4.1. Mich. 2.2. Mich. 3.2. nor breake their backes with bundens of oppreſſion in all manner of cruell ſervices (as the manner of many was round about him, toyling the bodies and tyring out the beaſts of their poore Tenants) Hee did not uſe their labour without hire, nor call for their worke without wages, nor take the benefit of their travell without any allowance of neceſſary ſaſtenance (which is the ſinne and ſhame of many Gentlemen amongſt as) But in all things concorning their profit, their eaſe, their peace, their Chriſtian comfort, and contentment, hee ever carried himſelfe as a mercifull,He was a mercifull Landlord. and good Landlord towards them. Yea, it was the very joy of his heart to ſee his Tenants proſper and thrive, in their eſtate under him, and to entertaine them lovingly and uſe them kindly as they came unto him. Hee was much of the fame minde towards his Tenants,Sueton. in Auguſt. as Augustus was towards his Subjects; Hee would not have any to come in feare and trembling before him, as if they came to an Elephant, nor any to depart with a heavie heart, of ſad couritenance from him, as if they had beene with a Tyrant.
How contrary to theſe mercifull courſes, are the rigorous, and cruell dealings of ſome Land-lords, with their Tenants, who if they grow wealthly under them, they are uſed and ſqurezed as ſpunges, as Veſpaſian did his Officers,Sueton on Veſp. to wreſt and wring what they can from them. If their Leafes be expixed they will hardly renew them, but upon ſuch hard conditions, as they ſhall never be able to live under them. Nay it may be they will grant no Leaſe at all, neither for yeares, nor lives, but thruſt out the ancient Tenant, and ſet his living upon a rack (for the rack ſay they, is the caſieſt pace) and ſo pull downe other mens houſes and families, to build their owne neſts on high; impoveriſh others to inrich themſelves; thruſt others into corners, that they may enlarge their owne borders;Mic. 2.2. and make other men their ſlaves and drudges,Iſa. 5. that they may domineere, and dwell alone as Lords of the land bound about them.
The woe that is denounced by the Prophet Iſay, and by others alſo as well as by him, againſt ſuch ſins, makes me to thinke, that ſuch cruell Land-lords, will nor find in the end, the racke to bee the eaſieſt pace as they imagine, nor the grinding of the poore to be their ſweeteſt griſt, as ſome conceive. No, no, I rather feare that all the eaſe of ſuch a rack will be no other, but to amble with the world, to trot on with the wicked, to gallop to the divel, and to take up their lodging in hell where they have a place prepared for them.
But wee ſpeake to them that have no eares to heare what the Spirit ſpeakes unto the Churches, but are rather like the deafe Adder,Caſsied in Pſal. 57. Lyva in Pſal. 57. of which Caſſiodore reporteth, that when ſhe is likely to bee charmed, ſhee makes her ſelfe deafe, by ſtopping one eare with the earth, and the other with her taile, that ſhee may not heare the voice of the charmer, charme he never ſo wiſely.
Thus have we made it manifeſt, that this gracious and Godly Gentleman, was in his holy converſation, full, of mercy and full of good fruits.
All of which do taſte and reliſh ſo much the better, becauſe they were ſeaſoned with two other gracious qualities, of that wiſedome which is from above, namely, Equity, and Syncerity, for hee was without partiality, and without hypocriſie: According to that of the Prophet Micha, He hath ſhewed thee O man what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to doe juſtlie, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly and uprightly with thy God?
And thus have we according to our purpoſe and promiſe, taken a more ſpeciall view of ſome parts and paſſages of this Gentlemans life, wherein the gifts of Gods grace, the vertues of Chriſt, and the fruits of the Spirit, did more eminently appear. As firſt, in his converſing with God; and ſecondly, in his converſation in the world. And ſo wee come from the courſe of his life in the world, and draw towards the end of his life; namely, his departure out of the world: which was the third and laſt of thoſe 3. generall heads, which were propoſed to be handled.