The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 66
CHAP. LXVI.
BY all this wee may ſee,4. Head. His conſtancy in Religion. and obſerve an evident proofe of his conſtancy in the profeſſion, and practice of true religion, being never wearie of well doing, nor diſcouraged in ſuffering any ill that did befall him. Hee was never unſetled in his courſe, nor diverted from it,1 King. 7.21. no not by the ſtrongeſt oppoſitions, and aſſaults that were made againſt it.
For this his conſtancy, hee had obtained of the Lord two ſpeciall pillars of ſupport,Boaz, i. In it is ſtrength. Jachin, i. he ſhall eſtabliſh. 2 Chron. 20, 20. Iſa. 30.15 Heb. 10.35.36. like thoſe in the Temple Boaz and Iachin, namely confidence, and patience, knowing right well that by believing in the Lord hee ſhould be eſtabliſhed: and that in quietneſſe, and confidence ſhould bee his ſtrength: and that hee had neede of patience to keepe poſſeſſion of his ſoule, that having done and ſuffered the will of God he might receive the promiſe, that is, the recompenſe of reward, according to the riches of his mercy, and bounty in Chriſt Jeſus.
And this may yet more evidently appeare,Even unto the end. by the laſt paſſages of his life, being now growne very feeble and weake, and much like a dying Lampe,Great ſtrength in great weakneſſe. the oyle waſting, and the light decaying: For though his afflictions were increaſed, yet were not his conſolations diminiſhed, though hee were weake in body, yet was hee of perfect minde and memory; feeble in the fleſh, but ſtrong in the Spirit: Yea, his ſpirit did continually breath out ſuch ſavoury and ſweet words (as his ſpeech would ſerve him) words of grace and peace, words of joy and comfort,His comfortable and ſavory ſpeeches. like a ſweet perfume, or ſome ſweet odours, out of a precious boxe, newly broken up, that all that ſtood by were much refreſhed, and comforted therewithall: and were well aſſured, that no paines of his body, nor pangs of death drawing on, did halfe ſo much trouble him or annoy him, as his inward, ſpirituall, holy,His conſolations exceeded his afflictions. and heavenly refreſhings and rejoycings in his God, and from his Chriſt, and by the Spirit, did make his conſolations to abound, for increaſe of his joy and peace in Chriſt Jeſus.
About the fifteenth of Ianuary his ſtrength was much abated, and his weakneſſe increated, by reaſon of a ſore ſtopping in his breaſt and throate, which did ſo trouble him, that hee could take no food, nor refreſhing, no not ſo much as a Spoone-full of any Syrup, or broth or any other liquid thing: but he was ready to faint and to be gone upon it.
It was much about this time,Sir H. B. came to viſit him. that a worthy Knight, his neare and deare Coſen, came to ſee him, one whom hee loved moſt intirely, for his faithfulneſſe in his place, zeale unto Gods houſe, and love unto Gods people, Who when hee ſaw him in ſo great weakneſſe, could not refraine from teares, but wept over him abundantly: which when hee was aware of, hee began to ſpeake comfortably unto him, ſaying; Good Sir, weepe not for mee, for there is no cauſe of weeping,His gracious words and exhortations unto him but of much rejoycing in my behalfe. Turne your teares into prayers, and let mee enjoy that fruit of your love. Let them weepe that have no other hope but in this life only, Let them weep that have no portion in the Lord, nor any part in Chriſt Ieſus: But as for you, and me, let us in every eſtate and condition, while we live together, rejoyce in the Lord together.
You are in your way, I am at my journeys end, walke on ſtill, as you have well both begune,Ioſh. 1.7, 8: Heb. 13. and continued a long ſeaſon. And the Lord will bee with you, hee will never ſayle you nor forſake you.
And with many other words did hee exhort him and others that were with him to be Faithfull in keeping Covenant with God, & to continue in the grace of God, whereunto they were cald in Chriſt Ieſus.His ſon and heire came unto him. VponUpon Monday being the 16 of Ian. his ſon and heire came unto him, whom he rejoyced to ſee, unto whom hee gave many wholſome inſtructions, and gracious exhortations, praying for him, and bleſſing his children, encouraging him to be conſtant in Religion, and commending unto him the excellency,His good counſel unto him. and reward of the ſame; Exhorting him alſo, to uphold the worſhip, and ſervice of God, both in the Aſſembly, and in his Family.
When Theoàoſius that good Emperour was dead and gone,Amb…in Funere Theod: Saint Ambroſe at his Funerall went about to comfort himſelfe, and the people, that they had not wholly loſt him, becauſe hee did yet live in his good and godly ſons, Arcadius and Honorius, whom as a part of himſelfe hee had left behind him.
It was the godly deſire (wee may ſee) of this gracious Gentleman,His deſire to have his heires to follow his ſteps. that when hee ſhould bee dead and gone, he might yet live in his children, eſpecially in the heires of his body and Family, that they might bee followers of his Faith and Religion, both for the power and practiſe of it, as well as Inheritors of his lands and poſſeſſions, for the fruits and profits of the ſame.
This was their Fathers charge,That being dead he might as it were live in them again. the diſcharge whereof would bee their comfort and their crowne; if the Lord give them grace, thus to fulfill the deſire of the dead, and the joy of the living.
For ſo this gracious Gentleman ſhould ſtill live in his Poſterity, and Religion ſhould neither dye nor decay in that Family,And that Religion might never dye nor decay in that Family: Liquefacta; hac nive multum erit luti, Soc: lib. 3. c. 19. where it was maintained, not only in life, and ſtrength, but in beauty and glory; full of all good fruits (as we have heard already) and free from all rootes of bitterneſſe, and from all ſoure grapes of groſſe Sins, ſpringing and ariſing from ſuch roots.