The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Title page – Dedication
A Faithfull Remonſtrance OF The Holy Life and Happy Death, OF IOHN BRUEN of Bruen-Stapleford, in the County of Cheſter, Eſquire.
(Brother to that Mirrour of Piety; Miſtris Katherin BRETTERGH.)
Exhibiting variety of many Memorable and Exemplary paſſages of his Life, and at his Death, uſefull for all ſorts and Sexes, but principally intended, as a Path and Preſident of Piety and Charity for the Inhabitants of the Famous County PALATINE of CHESTER.
By the late reverend Divine WILLIAM HINDE, ſometimes fellow of Queenes Colledge in Oxon, and Preacher of Gods Word at Bunb, in Cheſhire Publiſhed ſince his Death.
The Memory of the Iuſt ſhall be bleſſed, but the name of the Wicked ſhall rot,
LONDON, Printed by R. B. for Philemon Stephens, and Christopher Meredith, and are to be ſold at their Shop at the Golden Lyon in Saint Pauls Church yard, 1641.
To the Right Honourable Sir Iames Stanley of the honourable order of the Bath Knight, Lord Stanley and Strange, Lord of Man, and of the Iſles, Lord Lievtenant of the County of Palatines of Lancaſter, and Cheſter, of the City Chester and County of the ſame, Chamberlaine of the County Palatine of Chester aforeſaid, Son and Heire apparant of the Right Honorable William Earle of DERBIE, And my very Honourable good Lord and Patron, Honour and Glory.
Right Honourable,
HE that was both anaEccl. 1.1. Eccleſiaſtes, and a King (Salomon) both in the Pulpet and the Throne, as Preacher and a King preferresbEccl. 7.1. a good name to pretious Oyntment, and holds itcPro. 22.1. rather to be Choſen then the greateſt riches: the foundation of which ſtructure (as appeares by ſeverall Hiſtories, both Holy and Humane) is not laid in greatneſſe, but in goodneſſe. For by this thedHe. 11.2.39. Elders both of former and latter times, obtained a good report: hence camee1 Chro. 49.8, 9: labez to be more honorable than his brethren, becauſe he called upon the God of Iſrael. The Bereans to be more noble than thoſe of Theſſalonica, Acts 17.11becauſe they were more ready in hearing, more diligent in examining the Scriptures, than the others were: And from hence was this of thegAgeſilaus. Spartan King to one that extold the magnificence of the Perſian, wherein (ſays he) is he greater than I, except hee be more juſt than I? But there are too many that likeh1 Sam. 15 24 Saul andi2 Sam 15.6 Abſolon, do float upon anotherkRev. 4.6 glaſſie Sea, and fill their ſailes with the wind of vanity, and being regardleſſe of true honour, hunt too eagerly after popular applauſe, to make their names great, only in the eyes and mouths of men; forgetting that precept and principle of our Saviour, tolLuke 10.20 Rejoyce rather that their names are written in Heaven, where onelyonly both names and Honours are out of danger of defacing; butm1 Sam. 15 28. theſe like thoſe, what they leaſt feare they ſooneſt feel: and which they moſt ſeeke they ſeldom'ſt finde. For as their Fraught is but Folly, and their TRAFICKE in this Voyage is butn2 Sam. 18 14. Pride and Vanity: So is their gaine nothing but ſhame, ſorrow and infamy, a Returne in Saint Pauls oRo. 2.8, 0 Rom. 6.23 Heb. 2.2.opinion very ſutable to ſuch an adventure, wages and recompences very anſwerable to ſuch ſervices. The way amongſt the AncientpPlutarch. Romans to the Temple of Honour, was through the Temple of Vertue; and that hangs upon the File ofq1 Sam. 2.30 Eternity, would be remembred in every Houſe as well as in Elies Houſe; that thoſe that honour God, God will honour them, when ſuch as doe deſpiſe Him by preferring therIohn 12.43 praiſe of men before the praiſe of God, ſhall be deſpiſed.
And now who knoweth ſaid Mordecay to Eſther, fEſther. 4.7nay who knoweth not (my much honoured Lord) that knowes your Lordſhip; But that you have come to this height of Honour and have advanced your name and Family, that you have (as the Prophet oft…ſay …2.23 Eliakim) beene for a glorious Throne to the houſe of your Fathers; and all this, and more then this, by the better & more excellent way, by adding goodnes to Greatneſſe; to Highneſſe Holineſſe; by adding knowledge to your yeares, Grace to your knowledge, (Practiſe to both,) byu1 chr. 17.8 25. building and beautifying of Gods Houſe, who both hath and will build and beautifie yours. For the furtherance of which I ſhall not only withxZach. 4.7. Zacharies Angel, Bring forth the head *Wherein is engraven in golden Charactorsforeign Ego Tibi, tu mihi Domū.Stone, and crie Grace Grace unto it; But as that other to Gideon [ſhall wiſh you the wiſhes of your dedication, and ſay]yIudg. 6.12. Iehova eſt tecum, valentiſsime robore, The Lord be with thee thou mighty man of Valour. And for the continuance of which Exemplary acts and fruites of Piety and honour, I do offer here to your Lordſhips protection and acceptance theſe following Lines and Labours, which containe the Holy Life and happy Death of One who in his time was one of thezvid. title page, Lords worthies, one who had attaind to this honour to bee a bleſſing to himſelfe and to others alſo, to bee a good man, and to have aaPſa. 32.10. prov. 10.7. good name well worthy that honourable mention and Elogie wherewith the Iewiſh Rabbins were wont to ſpeake of their beſt and chiefeſt Authors,bforeign A man of bleſſed memorie, whole bleſſed and Sacred memoriall, I humbly crave (right Honourable) may finde a Shield and ſhelter under your Wings; ſo ſhall it bee borne from the Egypt of detraction and calumnie, (as once was Gods Iſrael, quaſi ſub alis aquilarum) as uponcExo. 19.4 Eagles wings.
My Lord, he is in ſome ſortdLuk. 7, 4.5. worthy for whom you ſhould doe this, for hee hath loved (while he lived) our nation, and hath built though not a materiall, yet a Spirituall Houſe of God, amongſt them with whom he lived, and that in ſuch a way as may multiply honour to your Lordſhip, by manifeſting your good affection to his vertues and your reſolution to preſerve his memory. The booke hath need of a high Patronage, and flies toeAlterius ſic altera poſcitopem, Hor: yours. Vouchſafe it then Right Honourable, though you need not it, yet (as the Reverend Biſhop fHiſteward complaining of extraordinary expnces occaſion'd through multitude of ſervants, he cals for a catalogue of their names and ſeeing who were ſerviceable, & who uſeleſſe, ſaid, theſe I will keepe becauſe Inced them, and thoſe becauſe they need me.Alonſo Cartilio to his ſervant) becauſe it needs you.
I know ther's no analogie in ſtate or place, in imployments, or indowments, betwixt your Lordſhip and this Gentleman, who was Inferioris Subſellij, of a farre inferiour rancke and quality: yet may your Honour, if you pleaſe to ſtoope ſog1 Sam: 25 30 31, 32, 33, 34 2 King 5.13.14. Iob 31.13, 14 low as to looke to his example, find many things worthy of your obſervation, and not a few worthy of imitation alſo.
But I feare that like the Ambaſſadors of Samos, I ſhall offend in Prolixitie. I will therefore now with Plutarchs Cranes in their flight over mounthIn Sicily where they ſtop their mouths with ſtones. V.M.A.p.H, O. Taurus, ſtop my mouth, leſt by too much noyſe I awaken and diſturbe the Eagle (I flye to) and ſo become a prey: to prevent which, I love onelyonly the poſture and Language of the Getulian captive to the Lyon, Indigna ſum ejus gloria iApuila hon capit muſcas.praeda, I am not worthy of your anger, yet feare to provoke it, but ſhall not neede while I become as beſt becomes me, ankCorporamagna nimo fatis eſt protraſſe Leoni. humble ſuppliant to your Lordſhip as well for pardon, as for Patronage, and to the Protector of Princes for hislPro. 3.16. right and left hand bleſſings, to bee ever multiplyed upon you and yours, that your honour may long continue like Eliakim, Velut. mEſa. 22.23.Paxillum in loco firmo, that you may live in your ſelfe, your illuſtrious Lady, your numerous and their honoured off-ſpring, and in all that have relation to your Lordſhip in the direct line or collaterall; to emulate and outſtrip the beſt and braveſt of your glorious Anceſtors, that ſucceeding Ages may never cloſe the Annalls of your Princely Family with a nHift. chro.Degenerem que , Neoptolemum.
But with that rather wherewith the Delphick oPl. cher.O racle honored that King of Sparta, Ultimus heroum Cleomenes Aſtypalaeus. The God of all happineſſe and bleſſing multiply all 38 graces and honours to you and yours,oIoſ. 19.15 in this life, by guiding you with his counſell, and in the next by receiving you all into His Glory, which ſhall bee the continued prayer of him who by many Obligations ſtands bound to acknowledge and ſubſcribe himſelfe in all humility and obſervance,
My Lord, Your Lordſhips moſt humble and thankefull Servant and Chaplaine. S. HINDE.