The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 60 – Chapter 61
CHAP. LX.
COncerning his departure out of this world,3. General Head. His departure out of the world. 1. Prepar. 2. His Reſol. 3 His confidence. 4. His conſt. Pſa. 90.12. we propole divers things to be conſidered and obſerved. Firſt, his preparation for it. Secondly, his patient reſolution to Beare all the ſharpe occurrents of it. Thirdly, his gracious confidence of a bleſſed and happy exchange after it. Fourthly, his happy conſtancy in the faith of Chriſt unto the end, and in the end, untill hee was put in poſſeſſion of it, and ſo obtained the end of his faith, the ſalvation of his lonle in Chriſt Jeſus.
Now for the firſt, as his whole life was a meditation of death, ſo was it alſo a continuall preparation for it. For the Lord had taught him ſo to number his dayes, that he did apply his heart unto wiſdome. I ſay, both to be wiſe unto ſalvation, and ſo wiſe alſo, as to conſider,Wiſedom. Deut. 32.29. Iob. 14.14. and often think too upon his latter end. So that, all the dayes of his appointed time, he did wait, as Iob did, till his change ſhould come. Al his ſtudies and labours, all his holy duties and ſervices, all his prayers and tears, all his watchings and faſtings, all his deſires and endeavors, were eſpecially bent and directed unto this end (next unto Gods glory,) that he might ſo run, that he might obtaine, and ſo fight,His preparation for death. that he might overcome, and in the end, be more than a conquerour in him that loved him, that is in Chriſt Jeſus.
It was therefore his care and confidence, ever ſo to live, that he might never be affraid to dye; yea ſo to live, that he might deſire to dye, and to bee with Chriſt, which is beſt of all, even where he is, and as he is for over.Phil 1.23 Paulm. in vita Amb. Poſsidon. in vita Aug. As Paulinus hath recorded of Ambroſe, that being ready to dye, he uttered theſe comfortable words, unto his friends about him. Non ſic vivi, ut pude no me inter vos vivere, nec mori timeo quiu bonum habemus Dominum, I have not ſo lived that I am aſhamed to live amongſt you, neither am I affraid to dye, becauſe we have a good Lord.
His more eſpeciall preparation for his latter end,His more ſpeciall preparation in ten ſpeciall duties. conſiſted in theſe holy duties, and heavenly exerciſes.
1. To deny himſelf, his wit, his will, his reaſon, and affection.
2. To renounee the world, and to we are himſelfe from the love of it, and from all the pleaſures, profits, honours, and favours of the fame.
3. To ſet and ſettle his affections on the things which are above, placing his heart where his head Chriſt is.
4. To take all his decayes of nature, his bodily infirmities, want of vigour and ſtrength, abatement of naturall heate and moiſture, to be certeyne Impreſſions of his mortality, and evident Summons to a diſſolution.
5. To make all his ſpirituall rejoycings and refreſhings in the eſtate of grace, to bee pledges, and earneſts (as it were) of heavenly and everlaſting joy and happineſſe in the eſtate of glory.
6. To conſider, that unto the godly, death is but a paſſage unto life, a diſſolution of ſoule and body for a ſeaſon, which afterwards ſhall bee reſtored again in greater beauty and glory at the reſurrection.
7. To obſerve, that death puts an end to all ſins and ſorrows, to all temptations, and afflictions, and brings us into the poſſeſſion of an heavenly inheritance, where the true treaſure is in abundance, where alſo there are rivers of pleaſures, and fulneſſe of joy for ever more.
8. To meditate, that here we are but ſtrangers and pilgrims, having here no continuing city, but ſeeking one to come, that heaven is our home, and that whiles we are preſent in the body, we are abſent from the Lord, and that Ieruſalem which is above, is the city of the Saints, and mother of us all.
9. To conferre and talke with his godly friends, of the day of death, and time of his departure out of this world, even in the middeſt of all other comforts: as Chriſt himſelf did with Moſes and Elias in the holy Mount, of his departure that is, of his death at Ieruſalem; and as Austin had much holy and heavenly communication with his mother Monica, Aug, Conſ. l. 9. t.10.and ſhee with him, to the like purpoſe.
10. Laſtly, to watch and pray with oyle in our Lamps, and our lights burning, taking every day for our laſt day,Mat. 25.4. 2 Tim. 2.21. Mat. 25.23. and ſo bee ready and prepared for our Maſters worke, for our Maſters comming, and for our owne reckoning.
Thus much of the means which he uſed, and duties which he performed, to prepare himſelf for his departure out of this world.
Now for his patient reſolution, to beare all the ſharp occurrents of it.
As hee had obtained mercy of the Lord, to bee faithfull in doing his will: So had he alſo, to be patient and reſolute, in ſuffering and abiding his good pleaſure, both in life and death. To which end the Lord had given him a great meaſure of ſpirituall ſtrength,Phil. 4.13 Eph. 6.13 that he was able to doe (in a manner) all things in Chriſt which ſtrengthened him, and hee had furniſhed him alſo with thatforeign, the whole armour of God, whereby he might be able to ſtand faſt in the evill day, whether of tentation, or affliction, againſt all adverſe power that might aſſaile him: We read of that faithfull ſervant of Chriſt, Chryſostome, when hee was grievouſly perſecuted by Eudoxia the Empreſſe, that the Lord did give him ſuch courage and reſolution, that he feared nothing, which ſhe could doe unto him, though ſhee did threaten never ſo much againſt him. Si vult, Regina me exulem agat in exilium, Domini est terra & plenitudo ejust & ſi vult ſecare, ſecet;Chryſ. Ep. Cyriace. Epiſe. Tom. 5. idem paſſus est Iſairs: ſi vult in pelagus mittere; Ionoe recordabor, &c. If the Queene will have me baniſhed, let her baniſh me; the earth is the Lords and the fulneſſe thereof; If ſhe will cut me in peeces, let her doe ſo, The Prophet Iſaiah ſuffered the ſame death: If ſhe will caſt me into the ſea, I will then remember Jonah: if ſhe will throw me into a burning fornace; the three children ſuffered as much before me. Such like courage and reſolution had this Gentleman, againſt his naturall afflictions, as Chryſoſtome had againſt violent perſecution. So that now he was able with valiant David, to goe forth in the name of the Lord, even againſt Goliah of the Philiſtims. And grew reſolute with Paul, not to reckon his life deare unto him (whatſoever afflictions might befall him) ſo that he might fulfill his courſe with joy,Act. 20.24 Ro. 8.18. Accounting all the afflictions of this world to be unworthy of the glory that ſhall be revealed, and never fainting for any ſorrow, becauſe, although the outward man did periſh and decay, yet was his inward man renewed daily,2 Cor. 4.16.17. and all the afflictions of this life were but light and momentany to him, that had an eye to the eternall vveight of glory, laid up in heaven for him.
CHAP. LXI.
IT was obſerved by many of his friends,His graces much increaſed in his old age. both at home and abroad, that, in his declining dayes, when he faw he was drawing on towards his journeyes end, his faith was exceedingly increaſed, his hope and rejoycing in God much enlarged, his love, and zeale, wonderfully inflamed; his affections towards God and the godly,Theodoſius ſenior aetate, ſed valìdius fide. Amb. de Obit. Theod. more holy and heavenly, and his motions towards heaven more quicke and lively. Much like the Elements, and other ſuch naturall bodies, which the nearer they draw to their proper places, are ever more violent and ſpeedy in their motions, till they come unto them: So was it with this Gentleman for his ſpirituall eſtate; the nearer he drew to wards his proper place (his manſion houſe,2 Cor. 5. 1 Ioh 14. 2. Phil 3.13 Act. 20.24. Heb. 12.1 prepared for him in the heavens) the more eager his deſires were, and his motions more vehement to diſpatch his journey, with all good ſpeed, to finiſh his courſe with joy, and to runne out the race with patience, vvhichwhich vvas ſet before him.
Thoſe that hee planted in the houſe of the Lord,Pſal. 92.14.15. ſhall flouriſh in the courts of our God. They ſhall bring forth fruit in old age, and they ſhall bee fat, and flouriſhing.His laft dayes his beſt days. Their laſt dayes ſhall bee their beſt dayes, and their laſt vvorkes their beſt vvorkes, and their fruit ſhall bee more and better at the laſt, than at the firſt.Iſay 61.3. Such a tree of righteouſneſſe, the planting of the Lord, vvas this godly Gentleman, whoſe fruit did not faile, whoſe leafe did not fade, no not in the winter of his age,Pſal. 1. Ier. 17.8. Pſa. 92.13 14. Phil. 3.13 but did ever flouriſh in the courts of our God. He was of Saint Pauls reſolution; forgetting thoſe things which were behinde, and reaching forth unto thoſe things which are before, he preſſed towards the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Chriſt Jeſus. His Reſolution and courage againſt all aſſaults.And caſting out as it were, his gantlet of defiance, againſt all the moſt ſharpe and dangerous aſſaults that might encounter him, and be made againſt him; he challengeth them all, as Paul did: Who ſhall ſeparate me from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, on distreſſe, or perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſſe, or perill, or ſword? Shall ſickneſſe, or ſorrowes, feares or terrors, pains or aches, fores or ſwellings, miſeries of life, or pangs of death ſo prevaile againſt me? Nay, in all theſe things I ſhall be more than a conquerour through him that loveth me.
And ſo from Pauls reſolution he grew unto Pauls perſwaſion, J am perſwaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, ſhall be able to ſeparate me from the love of God which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord.
His hope and expectation. Phil. 1.20 21.And from this perſwaſion, to an earneſt hope, and expectation, That in nothing hee ſhould bee aſhamed, but, that with all boldneſſe, as alwayes, ſo now alſo, Chriſt ſhould bee magnified in his body, whether it bee by life, or by death: For to him, to live was Chriſt, and to die was gaine.
Being now thus ſetled and reſolved, in patience and confidence to beare all afflictions, and indure all grievances which might be either as fore-runners, or attendants on his departure and diſſolution: It ſeemed good unto the Lord to viſit him with ſickneſſe, and that after this manner, as his faithfull yoke-fellow hath reported and fent me in writing from her owne hand. Her words be theſe.