Invisibles Realities Demonstrated in the Life and Death of John Janeway, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
An Account of him from his Childhood to the ſeventeenth year of his Age.
MR. John Janeway was born Anno 1633. Octob. 27. of Religious Parents, in Lylly, in the County of Hertford. He ſoon gave his Parents the hope of much comfort, and the ſymptoms of ſomething more than ordinary quickly appeared in him, fo that ſome which ſaw this Child much feared that, his life would be but ſhort, others hoped that God had ſome rare piece of work to do by or for this Child before he died; he ſhewed that neither of them were much miſtaken in their conjecture concerning him. He ſoon out-ran his ſuperiours for age in learning. And it was thought by no incompetent Judges that for pregnacy of wit, ſolidity of judgment, the vaſtneſs of his intellectuals, and the greatneſs of his memory, that he had no ſuperiours, few equals conſidering his age and education.
He was initiated in the Latine tongue by his own Father; afterward he was brought up for ſome time at Pauls School in London, where he made a conſiderable proficiencie in Latine and Greek under the care of Mr. Langly When he was about eleven years old he took a great fancy to Arithmetick and the Hebrew tongue.
About this time his Parents removing into a little Village called Aspoden, had the opportunity of having this their Son inſtructed, by a learned neighbour who was pleaſed to count it a pleaſant diverſion, to read Mathematicks to him, being then about twelve years old; and he made ſuch progreſs in thoſe profound ſtudies; that he read Oughthred with underſtanding, before he was thirteen years old. A perſon of quality, hearing of the admirable proficiency of this Boy, ſent for him up to London, and kept him with him for ſome time, to Read Mathematicks to him; that which made him the more to be admired was, that he did what he did with the greateſt facility. He had no ſmall skill in Muſick, and other concomitants of Mathematicks.
In the year 1646. he was choſen by that Learned Gentleman, Mr. Rous, the Provoſt of Eton Colledge one of the foundation of that Shool being examined by provoſt and poſiers in the Hebrew tongue, which was thought was beyond preſident. Where he gave no unſuitable returns to the high expectations that were conceived of him.
After a little continuance at Eton he obtained leave of his Maſter to go to Oxford to perfect himſelf in the ſtudy of Mathematicks, where being owned by that great Scholar Dr. Ward, one of the Profeſſors of the Univerſity, he attained to a ſtrange exactneſs in that ſtudy, nothing being within the reach of a man, but he would undertake and graſp. That great Doctor gave him great help and incouragement, and looked upon him as one of the wonders of his age, loved him dearly, and could for ſome time after his death ſcarce mention his name without tears. When he had ſpent about a quarter of a year with Dr. Ward at Oxford, he was commanded to return again to Eton, where he ſoon gave proof of his great improvement of his time while he was abſent; by making an Almanack, and calculating of the Eclipſes for many years before hand; ſo that by this time he had many eyes upon him as the glory of the School. That which put an accent upon his real worth was that he did not diſcover the leaſt affectation or ſelf-conceit, neither did any diſcernable pride attend theſe excelencies. So that every one took more notice of his parts than himſelf.
At about ſeventeen years old he was choſen to Kings Colledge in Camebridge, at which time the Electioners did even contend for the patronage of this Scholar. He was choſed firſt that year, and an elder brother of his in the ſixth place; but he was very willing to change places with his elder brother; letting him have the firſt, and thankfully accepting of the ſixth place.
Beſides his great learning, and many other ornaments of nature, his deportment was ſo ſweet and lovely, his demeanour ſo courteous and obliging, even when he ſeemed unconverted, that he muſt be vile with a witneſs that did not love him. Yea many of them which had little kindneſs for morality, much leſs for grace; could not but ſpeak well of him. His great wiſdom and learning did even command reſpect, where they did not find it: he had an excellent power over his paſſions, and was in a great meaſure free from the vices which uſually attend ſuch an age and place.
But all this while it is to be feared, that he underſtood little of the worth of Chriſt, and his own ſoul; he ſtudied indeed the heavens, and knew the motion of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, but that was his higheſt; he thought yet but little of God, which made all theſe things, he pried but little into the motions of his own heart; he did not as yet much buſie himſelf, in the ſerious obſervation of the wandring of his ſpirit; the Creature had not yet led him to the Creator; but he was ſtill too ready to take up with meer ſpeculation; but God, who from all eternity, had choſen him to be one of thoſe, who ſhould ſhine as the Sun in the Firmament for ever in glory; did when he was about eighteen years old, ſhine in upon his ſoul with power; and did convince him what a poor thing it was to know ſo much of the heavens and, never come there. And that the greateſt knowledge in the world without Chriſt, was but an empty dry buſineſs. He now thought Mr. Bolten had ſome reaſon on his ſide, when he ſaid; Give me the moſt magnificent glorious worldling, that ever trod upon earthly mould, richly crowned with all the Ornaments and excellencies of nature, art, policy, preferment, or what heart can wiſh beſides; yet without the life of grace, to animate and ennoble them; he were to the eye of heavenly wiſdom, but as a rotten carcaſe, ſtuck over with flowers; magnified dung, guilded rottenneſs, golden damnation. He began now to be of Anaxagoras's mind, that his work upon earth, it was to ſtudy Heaven and to get thither, and that except a man might be admitted to greater preferment than this world can beſtow upon her favorites, it were ſcarce worth while to be born.