Invisibles Realities Demonstrated in the Life and Death of John Janeway, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
An account of the latter part of his Life.
FOR the latter part of his Life; he lived liked a man that was quite weary of the world, and that looked upon himſelf as a ſtranger here, and that lived in the conſtant ſight of a better world. He plainly declared himſelf but a Pilgrim that looked for a better Country, a City that had foundations, whoſe builder and maker was God. His habit, his language, his deportment, all ſpoke him one of another world. His meditations were ſo intenſe, long and frequent, that they ripened him apace for Heaven; but, ſomewhat weakned his body. Few Chriſtians attain to ſuch a holy contempt of the world, and to ſuch clear believing, joyful, conſtant apprehenſions of the tranſcendent glories of the unſeen world.
He made it his whole buſineſs to keep up ſenſible communion with God, and to grow into a humble familiarity with God, and to maintain it. And if by reaſon of company or any neceſſary diverſions, this was in any meaſure interrupted; he would complain, like one out of his element, till his ſpirit was recovered into a delightful more unmixed free intercourſe with God. He was never ſo well ſatisfied, as when he was more immediately ingaged in what brought him nearer to God; and by this he injoyed thoſe comforts frequently, which other Chriſtians rarely meet with. His graces and experiences, toward his end grew to aſtoniſhment. His faith got up to a full aſſurance; his deſires into a kind of injoyment and delight. He was oft brought into the banqueting houſe, and there Chriſts Banner over him was love; and he ſate down under his ſhadow with great delight, and his Fruit was pleaſant unto his taſt. His Eyes beheld the King in his Beauty, and while he ſate at his Table, his ſpicknard did ſpend forth its pleaſant ſmell: he had frequent viſions of Glory, and this John lay in the boſom of his Maſter, and was ſure a very beloved Diſciple, and highly favored. His Lord oft called him up to the Mount to him, and let him ſee his excellent Glory, O the ſweet foretaſts that he had of thoſe pleaſures that are at the right Hand of God. How oft was he feaſted with the feaſt of fat things thoſe wines on the lees well refined; and ſometimes he was like a Giant refreſht with new wine, rejoycing to run the race that was ſet before him, whether of doing or of ſuffering. He was even ſick of love and he could ſay to the poor unexperienced World, O taſt and ſee! and to Chriſtians come and I well tell you what God hath done for my Soul. O what do Chriſtians mean that they do no more labour to get their ſences ſpiritually exerciſed? O, why do they not make Religion the very buſineſs of their lives? O, why is the Soul, Chriſt and Glory thus diſpiſed? Is there nothing in communion with God? Are all thoſe comforts of Chriſtians, that follow hard after him, worth nothing? Is it not worth the while to make ones calling and Election ſure. O, why do men and women jeſt, and dally in the great matters of Eternity? Little do people think, what they ſlight, when they are ſeldom and formal in ſecret duties, and when they neglect that great duty of Meditation, which I have through rich mercy, found ſo ſweet and refreſhing: O, what do Chriſtians mean, that they keep at ſuch a diſtance from Chriſt? Did they but know the thouſandth part of that ſweetneſs that is in him, they could not chooſe but follow him hard; they would run and not be weary, and walk and not be faint.
He could ſenſibly and experimentally, commend the ways of God to the poor unexperienced world, and ſay, His ways are pleaſantneſs; and juſtifie wiſdom and ſay, her paths were peace. He could take off thoſe aſperſions which the Devil, and the atheiſtical frantick ſots, do caſt upon Godlineſs in the power of it. Here is one that could challenge all the Atheiſts in the world to diſpute; here is one could bring ſenſible demonſtrations to prove a deity, & the reality and excellency of inviſibles; which theſe ignorant fools and mad men, make the ſubject of their ſcorn: Here is one that would not change delights with the greateſt epicures living, and vie pleaſure with all the ſenſual rich gallants of the world. Which of them all could in the midſt of their jollity ſay, This is the pleaſure, that ſhall laſt for ever? Which of them can ſay, among their Cups and Whores, I can now look Death in the Face, and, this very Moment I can be content, yea glad, to leave theſe delights, as knowing, I ſhall injoy better. And this he could do, when he fared deliciouſly in ſpiritual banquets every day: He could, upon better reaſon than he did, ſay, Soul, thou haſt goods laid up for many years; He knew full well, that what he did here injoy, was but a little to what he ſhould have ſhortly. In his preſence there is fulneſs of joy; at his right hand there are pleaſures for evermore. Where is the Belſhazzar, that would not quake in the midſt of his Cups, whilſt he is quaffing and carouzing in bowls of the richeſt Wine, if he ſhould ſee a hand upon the Wall, writing bitter things againſt him; telling him that his joys are at an end, and that this night his ſoul muſt be required of him; that now, he muſt come away, and give an account of all his ungodly pleaſures, before the mighty God. Where is the ſinner, that could be contented to hear the Lord roaring out of Zion, whileſt he is roaring in the Tavern? Which of them would be glad to hear the trumpet ſound, and to hear that voice, Ariſe you dead and come to judgment? Which of them would rejoyce to ſee the Mountains quaking, the Elements melting with fervent heat, and the Earth conſumed with flames; & the Lord Chriſt whom they deſpiſed, coming in the clouds with Millions of his Saints and Angels, to be avenged upon thoſe that knew not God and obeyed not his Goſpel. Is not that a bleſſed ſtate, when a man can lift up his head with joy, when others tremble with fear, and ſink with ſorrow? And this was the condition of this holy young man. In the midſt of all worldly comforts he longed for death: & the thought of the day of Judgment, made all his injoyments ſweeter. O, how did he long for the coming of Chriſt! Whilſt ſome have been diſcourſing by him of that great and terrible day of the Lord, he would ſmile, and humbly expreſs his delight in the forethought of that approaching hour.
I remember, once there was a great talk that one had foretold that Doomſday ſhould be upon ſuch a day: although he blamed their daring folly, that would pretend to know that which was hid from the Angels themſelves, and that the Devil could not acquaint them with; yet granting their ſuppoſition to be true, what then ſaid he? What if the day of Judgmennt were come, as it will moſt certainly come ſhortly? If I were ſure, the day of Judgment were to begin within an hour, I ſhould be glad with all my heart. If at this very inſtant, I ſhould hear ſuch thunderings, and ſee ſuch lightnings, as Iſrael did at Mount Sinai; I am perſwaded, my very heart would leap for joy. But this I am confident of, through infinite mercy, that the very meditation of that day hath even raviſhed my ſoul, and the thought of the certainty and nearneſs of it, is more refreſhing to me than the comforts of the whole world. Surely, nothing can more revive my Spirits, than to behold the bleſſed Jeſus; the joy, life, and beauty of my ſoul. Would it not more rejoyce me, than Joſephs wagons did old Jacob? I lately dreamed that the day of Judgment was come: Methought, I heard terrible cracks of thunder, and ſaw dreadful lightnings; the foundations of the earth did ſhake, and the Heavens were roled together as a garment; yea, all things viſible were in a flame; methought, I ſaw the graves opened, and the earth and Sea giving up their dead; methought, I ſaw millions of Angels, and Chriſt comming in the clouds. Methought, I beheld the antient of days ſitting upon his Throne, and all other Thrones caſt down: Methought, I beheld him whoſe Garments were white as Snow, and the hair of his head like pure Wool: His Throne was like the firely flame, and his wheels as burning fire; a firey ſtream iſſued and came forth from him; thouſands of thouſands miniſtred unto him; and ten thouſand times ten thouſand ſtood before him; and the Judgment was ſet and the books were opened. O, but with what an extaſie of joy was I ſurprized! Methought, it was the moſt heart-raiſing, and ſoul-raviſhing ſight, that ever my eyes beheld: and then I cried out, I have waited for thy ſalvation, O God; and ſo I mounted into the Air, to meet my Lord in the Clouds.
This I record, only to ſhew, how far he was from being daunted at the thoughts of death or Judgement: and to let other Chriſtians know, what is attainable in this life; and what folly it is, for us to take up with ſo little, when our Lord is pleaſed to make ſuch noble proviſions for us, and by a wiſe and diligent improvement of thoſe means which God hath offered us, we may have an entrance adminiſtred to us abundantly into the everlaſting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
O how comfortable, how honourable, and how profitable is this ſtate! Theſe are your men that quit themſelves like Chriſtians This is true gallantry, noble manhood, real valour! This was the condition of Mr. Janeway for about three years before he died; I will not deny but that he had ſome clouds; but, he uſually walked in a ſweet, even, humble ſerenity of ſpirit, and his refreſhing joys were more conſiderable than his diſpondings; and though he daily queſtioned many actions; yet, did not queſtion his ſtate, but had his heart fixed upon that rock that neither waves nor winds could ſhake. His ſenſes were ſtill ſo ſpiritually exerciſed, as that he could look up to Heaven as his Country and Inheritance, and to God as his Father, and to Chriſt as his Redeemer; and (that which is ſcarce to be heard of) he counted it the higheſt act of patience to be willing to die, and a very great pitch of ſelf-denial to be contented to be in this world, and to dwell on this ſide a full and eternal injoyment of that royal glorious One whom his ſoul was ſo much in love with. In a word, he had the moſt earneſt deſires to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt that I ever ſaw, read, or heard of, ſince the Apoſtles times.