The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 62
CHAP. LXII.
His firſt ſickneſſe and viſitation.I Call to mind ſome words which he ſpake unto me alone, at that time when it pleaſed the Lord to viſit him, which was upon the day after the Sabbath. That morning he aroſe exceeding early, and having beene in private prayer with God, as his uſuall manner was, he performed afterwards this duty in the whole family. This being done, he went, as he was accuſtomed, into his Studie untill dinner time. And having dined, he went into his Study again. And then it pleaſed God, about an houre or two after, to viſit him, as it were with an Ague, after the manner of a ſhaking; and ſo withdrawing himſelfe thence into his little parlour, he laid him down upon his bed. Then ſaid I unto him, Sir, I feare your early riſing hath done you hurt. Then he replied, If you had ſeene, wife, ſuch glorious things as I ſaw this morning, being in private prayer with God,…ide Poſ…d. de vita Aug. c. 27. you would not have ſaid ſo: For they were ſo wonderfull and unſpeakable, that whether I was in the body, or out of the body, with Paul, I cannot tell. Thus it hath pleaſed the Lord, leaſt I ſhould be too much exalted by this glorious ſight, to give mee (with Paul) a buffet in the fleſh. All which things he ſpake with exceeding great joy unto me.Non probo quod …eſero: vix fas eſt credere viſis: Saepe Satan tali in lumine lucc nocet.
The like report of the like raviſhing in ſpirit and ſuch glorious ſights (which he ſaw not long before) he himſelfe made unto ſome of his friends, after he had beene one day in private prayer with God in his grove. The particulars he would not confeſſe, but onelyonly told them in generall, with great tenderneſſe of heart,2 Cor. 11 14. and many teares in his eyes, teares of joy, and teares of ſorrow.Pati timetis, exire non vultis, quid facium vobis? Poſſid. de vita Aug. c. 37. For now he had a ſtrong perſwaſion, that he ſhould not live long, and that within a while he ſhould make a glorious change, of this life, with a better; of earth for heaven, of this world for another, and of an eſtate of miſery, for an eſtate of glory.
And hereunto hee did very carefully addreſſe himſelfe,3. Head. His confidence of a happy exchange. labouring for a gracious confidence of this bleſſed and happy exchange, whenſoever he ſhould come unto it. And this hee did by clearing his evidence, and confirming his aſſurance of it.
His evidence he cleared, by informing his judgment aright in the all-ſufficiency and perpetuity of that bleſſed eſtate.His evidence of it His aſſurance he confirmed by ſuch faithfull records, covenants, grants, gifts, pledges, earneſts, witneſſes, ſignes, oaths, ſeales,His aſſurance for it. fruits, and marks of his intereſt unto that eſtate, that neither ſinne nor Satan, law nor conſcience, death nor hell could infringe it, nor finde any flaw therein, to give either them any juſt occaſion to except againſt it, or him any cauſe once to doubt of it.
This his confidence was his comfort in all his ſickneſſe,His confidence cauſe of his comfort. which drew many comfortable and heavenly ſpeeches from him. Such as theſe, and the like.
O how great is thy goodnes, O Lord, which thou haſt laid up for them that fear thee, which thou haſt wrought for them that truſt in thee, before the ſonnes of men!
O how precious are thy thoughts unto me, Pſal. 31.19.O God! O how great is the ſumme of them! Pſal. 139.17, 18.If I ſhould count them, they are moe in number than the ſand: when I awake, I am ever with thee.
I truſted in the Lord, Pſal. 31.I ſaid, thou art my god. My times are in thy hand. I am continually with thee, thou haſt holden me by my right hand.
Thou ſhalt guide me with thy counſell, Pſal. 31.23, 24, 25 26and afterwards receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I deſire beſides thee. My fleſh and my heart faileth, but God is the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever. I know whom I have beleeved, and I am perſwaded that he is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him againſt that day. Pſal. 31.O love the Lord, all yee his Saints, for the Lord preſerveth the faithfull, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes, ſo panteth my ſoule after thee O God. My ſoule thirſteth for God, for the living god. O when ſhall I come and appeare before God?
O let him kiſſe me with the kiſſes of his mouth, Cant. 1.1, 2.for thy love is better than wine. Becauſe of the ſavour of thy good ointment: Thy name is as an oyntment powred forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Draw me, and I will run after thee.
God is not unrighteous, Heb. 6.10.to forget our worke and labour of love which we have ſhewed unto his name.
Faithfull is he that promiſeth and calleth us, 1 Theſ. 5.24 Neh. 5.15. and 13. v. 14.22.who will alſo do it.
Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for thy people, and wipe not out my kindneſſe that I have done for the houſe of my God, & for the Offices thereof: Remember me, O my God, and ſpare me, according to the greatnes of thy mercy.
Some of theſe holy and heavenly Speeches, hee uttered at his firſt awaking in the morning, ſome in Prayer with his Family, ſome in his ſhort Ejaculations, ſome as the iſſue of his ſecret, and ſilent Meditations, ſome in conference and ſpeech with ſuch of his Chriſtian friends, as did come to viſit him: and to miniſter either other counſell or comfort unto him. Yea, and many hundred more than theſe, which would be a matter of great difficulty, if not of impoſſibility, to call to mind and to record them.
His heart was as a fountaine full of the waters of life,Iohn 4.141 full of the heavenly knowledge of the holy Scriptures, and now being as it were broken open by affliction, the riverets of grace and truth did iſſue out amayne.
He was full of matter, like Elihu, Iob 32.…9.and the Spirit within him did conſtraine him: Behold, his belly was as new wine which hath no vent; It is ready to burst like new bottles. Pſa. 45.15.His heart was ever inditing ſome good matter, and his tongue became the pen of a ready writer.