The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 67 – Chapter 68
CHAP. LXVII.
M.L. and my ſelfe came to viſit him. Ian. 16.1625.UPon the ſame day Ianuary 16. Maſter L. and my ſelfe came unto him. And here, what ſhall I ſay? Recrudeſcit doloris vulnus, My ſorrow bleeds afreſh, I can now rather weepe, than write, mine eyes drop downe teares, as my pen doth words; and my writing rejoyceth as it were to mingle it ſelfe with my weeping, to blurre and blot my paper, that no more be ſaid of theſe things, Curae loquuntur leves,Senec. ingentes ſtupent. But I will indeavour to refraine and containe my ſelfe,Juvat tanli viriobitū, & deſtendo ſcribere & ſcribendo deflere, Linthprand. l. 1. cap. u…to. and tell you (as I can) ſome few things, of many, which I ſaw and heard from him at that inſtant. VponUpon my comming unto him, ſo ſoone as he ſaw me, hee ſeemed to bee much cheered, and comforted even in his very ſoule, and ſo ſpake (in ſuch broken and ſhort ſpeeches as then he could) to this effect unto me. Oh brother H. you are a welcome man unto me, I am here you ſee the Lords priſoner,His patient waiting for releaſe. caſt upon the bed of my ſicknes, and in great affliction; yet waiting upon the mercies of my God, for a comfortable releaſe in due ſeaſon. And when he was asked of the eſtate of his faith and hope in Chriſt, and whether his conſolations did not abound in the middeſt of all his afflictions:His con. ſolations ſtill abound. Yes, I thank God, ſaith he, they doe, and farre doe exceed them. Yea, and that which is more remarkable, the Lord of his mercy hath given me ſo ſtrong evidence of his favour and love in Chriſt,Without all trouble of mind, or conſcience that I am not troubled in mind nor conſcience, with any doubts or feares, nor a… other Satanicall moleſtations or tentations, but reſt and wait in patience for the accompliſhing of his mercies upon mee, according to his good pleaſure towards me.
Hereupon,We rejoyced in his joy. although we were ſorrowfull in his ſorrow, yet were we joyfull alſo in his joy: and finding him ſo graciouſly ſetled and reſolved concerning his peace and reconciliation with God in Chriſt, and touching his aſſurance of his heavenly inheritance, we reſolved not to trouble him much with many words, in his great weakneſſe, but demanded of him, whether hee would not have us to commend him unto God in our prayers. At which motion hee ſeemed to rejoyce in his ſpirit, and anſwered, yes, he would, and did much deſire it.Prayed with him and for him. Egredere anima, quid times? Egredere anima, quid dubitas? ſeptuaginta propè annis ſervisti Chriſto, & mortem times? In haec verba exhalavit ſpiritum. Hieron. in vita Hila…ionis. And ſo he raiſed up himſelfe in his bed, and lifting up his heart with his hands to God in the heavens, did as it were, reach after the petitions that were put up to God for him, and joyning in heart and ſpirit with him that prayed, could not containe himſelfe, but oftentimes with a cheerefull conſent, ſaid, Amen, Amen, unto the requeſts and ſupplications that were made, for his good and comfort in Chriſt Jeſus.
After this M.L. ſpake a word unto him, to comfort him in the midſt of all his ſorrowes, that hee knew that ſhortly hee ſhould bee releaſed and freed from all ſinne and ſorrow, from Satan and this preſent evill world: wherunto he anſwered moſt cheerfully and graciouſly, "I know I ſhall, and bee with "Chriſt which is beſt of all. And now the meſſenger of death is upon me (which he ſpoke of the hickock which had taken hold of him.) M.L. replyed, I hope, Sir, that death is no ſcare nor terror unto you. No indeed, it is not I thanke God, ſaith he, for it is my way to life, and I am now called of God unto it.
And thus he continued in great paine of body, but yet in great peace of mind, increaſing ſtill in conſolations, and enduring all his ſickneſſe with admirable patience, not ſhewing any diſtemper, nor diſcontent, neither in word nor deed, all the while, in the troubles and ſorrow of the ſame.
His care for prayer in the Family.After this, the ſame night he put it upon me to call his Family to Prayer, and to performe the evening Sacrifice in the great parlour, commading them to ſet open his little parlour doore, adjoyning to it, that he might heare us, and joyne with us, and partake of ſuch mercies and meanes, as the Lord ſhould be pleaſed either to offer unto us, or to accept at our hands.
The next morning, though he did weare a way very much, yet he called upon M.L. to pray with him,Mindfull of M.L. being up very early, to go a long journey to preach his ordinary Tewſday Lecture: Of whom he was ſo very carefull, that he cauſed ſome proviſion to be made for him, eſpecially a Poſſet, that hee himſelfe at their parting might drinke with him.
The ſame day I ſtaid with him untill the afternoone,A heavy Parting. miniſtring ſuch help and comfort as I could unto him. And then mine owne occaſions calling me home, my wife being his former wives own ſiſter, and my ſelfe, came to take leave with him, which when hee heard and ſaw, his very ſoule ſeemed to melt within him; for both his and our hearts were full of griefe, and our eyes full of teares, and ſo mingling our ſorrowes, our teares and our prayers together; be commended us to the grace and bleſſing of God, as wee alſo did him. And then falling upon his face and kiſſing his cheek, we tooke our long leave with him, leaving him yet in the hands of his heavenly Father that would never leave him.
CHAP. LXVIII.
Some ever ready to pray with him.THe ſame afternoone he called for M.Lan. and M.Clerk his own Paſtor to pray with him, and was never at quiet, unleſſe hee were either Meditating and Praying himſelfe, or had ſome godly man or good Miniſter to pray with him, and for him.
Divers deſire a bleſſing from him.Ʋpon Wedneſday morning, divers of thoſe that were with him, ſuſpecting his death and diſſolution to be neare, tooke leave with him, deſiring at their parting a bleſſing from him: Which he did willingly expreſſe; by lifting up his hands and his heart unto Heaven for them; Vttering alſo ſome words which they could not ſo well underſtand. In the afternoone he overheard ſome making motion of blacks. I wil have no blacks ſaith he, I love not any proud or pompous Funerals, neither is there any cauſe of mourning, but of rejoycing rather in my particular. After this he entreated a good Chriſtian to pray with him, which he did very willingly, again and again, to his good contentment. And while they were in prayer in the Family, they that were with him did imagine that he prayed himſelf ſilently and ſecretly,He prayeth ſecretly himſelfe. by the pulling of his armes out of the bed, and lifting up his hands and his eyes towards Heaven; whence only he did looke for hearing and helping at Gods hands.
And now growing ſo weak, that he was ſcarce able to ſpeak a word, thoſe gracious people that were about him, prayed him to lift up his hand, if he underſtood them, and would have them to pray for him,Other gracious people pray with him. which he did very willingly and readily, and ſo he joyned with them, and was heard to ſay Amen, to the prayers that they made for him.
Afterward they perceived that he prayed himſelfe again, lifting up his hands, and uttering theſe words, with many other to the like effect. The Lord is my portion, His laſt Prayer.my help and my truſt, his bleſſed ſon Jeſus is my Saviour and Redeemer, Amen, Even ſo ſaith the Spirit unto my ſpirit: Therefore, come Lord Jeſus, and kiſſe me with the kiſses of thy mouth, and embrace me with the armes of thy love: Into thy hands do I commend my ſpirit; O come now, and take me to thine own ſelfe; O come, Lord Jeſus, come quickly, O come, O come, O come, And ſo his ſpirit fainting,His laſt end and his ſpeech failing, he lay quiet and ſtill, for a little ſeaſon. And then he meekly, and graciouſly yeelded up his pretious ſoule, into the hands of God his Father that gave it, and into the armes of his Saviour, that had bought it, and redeemed it with his pretious bloud.
And thus having finiſhed his courſe, and run out his race, the night of his death ſhutting up the dayes of his life. Snaviter in Domino obdormivit, He ſweetly ſlept in the Lord.
All Glory, Thankſgiving and Praiſe, bee unto our gracious God, in and through his Son Chriſt leſus, for ever and ever, Amen.
Ʋae etiam laudabili vitae, ſi remota miſericordia diſcutias eam,Aug. Conf. lib. 9. c. 19. Aug.
Quiſguis tibi enumerat vera merita ſua,Aug ibid. cap. 13.
Quid tibi enumerat niſi muneratua?
FINIS.
Imprimatur,
JOH. HANSLEY. Jan. 16. 1640.
End of the text · William Hinde, The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen (1641)