Invisibles Realities Demonstrated in the Life and Death of John Janeway, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
His great love to, and frequency in the duty of Prayers: with remarkable ſucceſs.
HE was mighty in Prayer, and his ſpirit was oftentimes ſo tranſported in it, that he forgot the weakneſs of his own body, and of others ſpirits: Indeed the acquaintance that he had with God was ſo ſweet, and his converſe with him ſo frequent, that when he was ingaged in duty, he ſcarce knew how to leave that which was ſo delightful and ſuited to his ſpirit. His conſtant courſe for ſome years was this: He prayed at leaſt three times a day in ſecret, ſometimes ſeven times; twice a day in the Family, or Colledge: And he found the ſweetneſs of it beyond imagination, and enjoyed wonderful Communion with God, and taſted much of the pleaſantneſs of a Heavenly Life: And he could ſay by experience, that the ways of wiſdom were ways of pleaſantneſs, and all her paths peace. He knew what it was to wreſtle with God, and was come to that paſs, that he could ſcarce come off his knees without his Fathers bleſſing. He was uſed to converſe with God with a holy familiarity as a Friend, and would upon all occaſions run to him for advice, and had many ſtrange and immediate Anſwers of Prayer. One of which I think it not altogether impertinent to give the World an account of.
His Honoured Father, Mr. William Janeway, Miniſter of Kelſhall in Hartfordſhire, being ſick, and being under ſomewhat dark apprehenſions as to the ſtate of his Soul, he would often ſay to his Son John: O Son! this paſſing upon Eternity is a great thing, this dying is a ſolemn buſineſs, and enough to make any ones heart ake that hath not his Pardon ſealed, and his Evidences for Heaven clear. And truly Son, I am under no ſmall fears, as to my own eſtate, for another world. O that God would clear his love! O that I could ſay chearfully I can die, and upon good grounds be able to look Death in the face, and venture upon Eternity with well-grounded peace and comfort!
His ſweet and dutiful Son made a ſuitable reply at preſent; but ſeeing his dear Father continuing under deſpondings of ſpirit (though no Chriſtians that knew him but had a high eſteem of him for his uprightneſs) he got by himſelf, and ſpent ſome time in wreſtling with God upon his Fathers account, earneſtly begging of God, that he would fill him with joy unſpeakable in believing, and that he would ſpeedily give him ſome token for good, that he might joyfully and honourably leave this world to go to a better. After he was riſen from his knees, he came down to his ſick Father, and asked him how he felt himſelf. His Father made no anſwer for ſome time, but wept exceedingly (a paſſion that he was not ſubject to) and continued for ſome conſiderable time in an extraordinary paſſion of weeping, ſo that he was not able to ſpeak. But at laſt having recovered himſelf, with unſpeakable joy he burſt out into ſuch expreſſions as theſe: O Son! now it is come, it is come, it is come. I bleſs God I can die: The Spirit of God hath witneſſed with my ſpirit, that I am his Child: Now I can look up to God as my dear Father, and Chriſt as my Redeemer; I can now ſay this is my Friend, and this is my Beloved. My heart is full, it is brim full, I can hold no more: I know now what that ſentence means, the Peace of God which paſſeth underſtanding; I know now what that white ſtone is wherein a new name is written, which none know but they which have it. And that fit of weeping which you ſaw me in, was a fit of over-powring love and joy, ſo great, that I could not for my heart contain my ſelf; neither can I expreſs what glorious diſcoveries God hath made of himſelf unto me: And had that joy been greater, I queſtion whether I could have born it, and whether it would not have ſeparated ſoul and body. Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and all that is within me bleſs his holy Name that hath pardoned all my ſins, and ſealed the pardon. He hath healed my wounds, and cauſed the bones which he had broken to rejoyce. O help me to bleſs the Lord! he hath put a new Song into my mouth: O bleſs the Lord for his infinite goodneſs and rich mercy! O now I can die! it is nothing, I bleſs God I can die: I deſire to be diſſolved, and to be with Chriſt. You may well think that his Sons heart was not a little refreſhed to hear ſuch words, and ſee ſuch a ſight, and to meet the Meſſenger that he had ſent to Heaven returned back again ſo ſpeedily. He counted himſelf a ſharer with his Father in this mercy, and it was upon a double account welcome, as it did ſo wonderfully ſatisfie his Father, and as it was ſo immediate and clear an Anſwer of his own prayers, as if God had from Heaven ſaid unto him, thy tears and prayers are heard for thy Father: thou haſt like a Prince prevailed with God; thou haſt got the bleſſing; thy fervent prayers have been effectual; go down and ſee elſe.
Upon this, this precious young man broke forth into praiſes, and even into another extaſie of joy, that God ſhould deal ſo familiarly with him; and the Father and Son together were ſo full of joy, light, life, love and praiſe, that there was a little Heaven in the place. He could not then but expreſs himſelf in this manner: O bleſſed, and for ever bleſſed be God for his infinite grace! O who would not pray unto God! verily he is a God that heareth prayers, and that my ſoul knows right well! And then he told his joyful Father how much he was affected with his former deſpondings, and what he had been praying for juſt before with all the earneſtneſs he could for his ſoul, and how the Lord had immediately anſwered him. His Father hearing this, and perceiving that his former comforts came in in a way of prayer, and his own childs prayer too, was the more refreſhed, and was the more confirmed that it was from the Spirit of God, and no deluſion. And immediately, his Son ſtanding by, he fell into another fit of triumphing joy, his weak body being almoſt ready to ſink under that great weight of Glory that did ſhine in ſo powerfully upon his Soul. He could then ſay, now let thy ſervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have ſeen thy Salvation. He could now walk through the valley of the ſhadow of death, and fear no evil. O how ſweet a thing is it to have ones intereſt in Chriſt cleared, how comfortable to have our calling and election made ſure! How lovely is the ſight of a ſmiling Jeſus when one is dying! How refreſhing is it, when heart, and fleſh, and all are failing, to have God for the ſtrength of our heart and our portion for ever! O did the fooliſh unexperienced world but know what theſe things mean, did they but underſtand what it is to be ſolaced with the believing views of Glory, to have their ſenſes ſpiritually exerciſed, could they but taſte and ſee how good the Lord is, it would ſoon cauſe them to diſreliſh their low and bruitiſh pleaſures, and look upon all worldly joys as infinitely ſhort of one glimpſe of Gods love! After this, his Reverent Father had a ſweet calm upon his ſpirits, and went in the ſtrength of that proviſion, that rich Grace laid in, till he came within the Gates of the New Jeruſalem: having all his Graces greatly improved, and ſhewed ſo much humility, love to, and admiring of God, contempt of the World, ſuch prizing of Chriſt, ſuch patienee as few Chriſtians arrive to, eſpecially his Faith, by which with extraordinary confidence he caſt his Widow and eleven Fatherleſs Children upon the care of that God who had fed them with this Manna in his Wilderneſs ſtate: The benefit of which Faith all his Children (none of which were in his life-time provided for) have ſince to admiration experienced. And it is ſcarce to be imagined how helpful this his precious Son John Janeway was to his Father by his heavenly diſcourſe, humble advice, and prayers. After a four moneths conflict with a gainful Conſumption, and Hectick Fever, his Honoured Father ſweetly ſlept in Jeſus.