Invisibles Realities Demonstrated in the Life and Death of John Janeway, Chapter 6 – Chapter 8
CHAP. VI.
His care of Mother, and other Relations, after his Fathers death.
AFter the death of his Father, he did what he could to ſupply his abſence, doing the part of Husband, Son, Brother: ſo that he was no ſmall comfort to his poor Mother in her diſconſolate ſtate, and all the reſt of his Relations that had any ſenſe of God upon their ſpirits. To one of which he thus addreſſed himſelf upon the death of a ſweet Child.
Daily obſervations, and every mans experience, gives ſufficient teſtimony to it, that afflictions of what kind ſoever, by how much the ſeldomer they are, the more grievous they ſeem. We have of a long time ſailed in the Rivers of Bleſſings which God hath plentifully poured forth among us; now if we come where the Waves of affliction do but a little more than ordinarily ariſe, we begin to have our ſouls almoſt carried down with fears and griefs; yea, the natural man, if not counter-powred by the Spirit of God, will be ready to entertain murmuring and repining thoughts againſt God himſelf. Whereas, if all our life had been a Pilgrimage full of ſorrows and afflictions (as we deſerved) and had but rarely been intermingled with comforts, we ſhould have been more fitted to bear afflictions. Thus it is naturally: but we ought to counter-work againſt the ſtream of nature by a new principle wrought in us; and whatſoever Nature doth err in, Grace is to rectifie: And they upon whom Grace is beſtowed, ought to ſet Grace on work. For wherefore is Grace beſtowed, unleſs that it ſhould act in us: It hath pleaſed the Lord to make a breach in your Family. There where the knot is faſt tyed, when it is diſunited, the change becomes greater, and the grief is the more inlarged. So that herein you who are moſt moved, are moſt to be excuſed and comforted: The ſtrength of a Mothers affections I believe none but Mothers know, and greateſt affections, when they are diſturbed, breed the greateſt grief: But when afflictions come upon us, what will be our duty? Shall we then give our ſelves up to be carried away with the grieving paſſions? Shall we, becauſe of one affliction, cauſe our ſouls to walk in ſadneſs all our days, and drive away all the light of comfort from our eyes, by cauſing our ſouls to be obſcured under the ſhades of melancholy? Shall we quarrel with our Maker, and call the wiſe Righteous Judge to our Bar? Doth he not puniſh us leſs than we deſerve? Is there not Mercy and Truth in all his Diſpenſations? Shall we by continual ſorrow add affliction to affliction, and ſo become our own Tormentors? Are we not rather under afflictions, to ſee if any way we may find a glimpſe of Gods love ſhining in towards us, and ſo to raiſe up our ſouls nearer God? Is there not enough in God, and the Holy Scriptures, to bear up our ſpirits under any afflictions, let them be never ſo great? What do you ſay to that word, Who is there among you that feareth the Lord, and that obeyeth the voice of his ſervant that walketh in darkneſs, and ſeeth no light, let him truſt in the name of the Lord, and ſtay himſelf upon his God? Though all earthly comforts were fled away, and though you could ſee no light from any of theſe things below; yet if you look upward to God in Chriſt, there there is comfort to be found, there is light to be eſpied; yea, a great and glorious light; which if we can rightly diſcern, it would put out the light of all lower comforts, and cauſe them to be vilely accounted of. But alas! alas! thoſe heavenly comforts, though they are in themſelves ſo precious, and if really and ſenſibly felt, able to raiſe a mans Soul from Earth, yea from Hell, to the foretaſte of Heaven it ſelf; yet for want of a ſpiritual ſenſe, they are by moſt of the world undervalued, ſlighted, and thought to be but fancies. Nay, let me ſpeak freely, Chriſtians themſelves, and thoſe that we have cauſe to hope are men of another world, and truly born again, yet for want of a ſpiritual quickneſs in this ſpiritual ſight and ſenſe, theſe comforts are too lowly and meanly eſteemed of.
It is a ſpiritual ſenſe that inableth a Chriſtian to behold a glorious luſtre and beauty in Inviſibles, and raiſeth the Soul up to the Gate of Heaven it ſelf; and when he is there, how can he chuſe but look down with a holy ſlighting and contempt upon the ſweeteſt of all Earthly enjoyments? How can he chuſe but think all Creature-comforts but ſmall, compared with one look of love from Chriſt? This heavenly comfort was that which David did ſo much deſire: Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon me, was the language of his ſoul, and when this was come, how was his heart inlarged? Thou haſt put joy and gladneſs in my heart more than in the time when their Corn and Wine increaſed. He then that in afflictions would find comfort muſt ſtrive to ſee ſpiritual comforts, to be the greateſt, even that comfort which is from God, in the face of Jeſus Chriſt; this, this will be a cordial, this will be as marrow and fatneſs to the ſoul. They that have intereſt in Chriſt, what need they be moved and diſcomfited with any worldly trouble? Is not Chriſt better than ten children? is not his loving-kindneſs better than life? Is not all the world a ſhadow, compared with one quarter of an hours injoyment of him, even on this ſide of Glory in ſome of his own Ordinances? O therefore ſtrive to get your intereſt in this comfort ſecured, and then all's well. He that hath Chriſt, hath all things. If God be reconciled to you through him, then he will withhold no good thing from you.
We poor fooliſh creatures do ſcarce know what is good for our ſelves, but it's no ſmall incouragement to the people of God that Wiſdom it ſelf takes care of them, and one that loves them better than they love themſelves, looks after them: And he hath given his promiſe for it, that all ſhall work together for their good. And what better foundation of comfort can there be in the whole world than this! Why may you not then ſay with the Pſaſmiſt, Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me? hope in God. Let not your ſoul ſink under afflictions, for what reaſon have you to be diſcomfited under them? Can you gather from thence that the Lord doth not love you? No ſurely, but rather the contrary, for whom the Lord loveth he chaſteneth, and ſcourgeth every Son whom he receiveth: What Son is he whom the Father chaſteneth not? Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.
Let this ſerve as a remedy againſt exceſſive grief. Get your love to God increaſed, which if you do, the love of all other things will wax cold. And if you have given God your heart, you will give him leave to take what he will that is yours, and what he hath you will judge rather well kept than loſt.
Remember that Scripture, and let it have its due impreſſion upon your ſpirit; He that loves Father or Mother, Brother or Siſter, yea or Children more than me, is not worthy of me. O labour to have your affections therefore more raiſed up to him who is moſt worthy of them, let him have the uppermoſt & greateſt room in your heart, and let your love to all other things be placed in ſubjection to your love of God, be ruled by it, and directed to it. Be our earthly afflictions never ſo great, yet let this love to God poiſe our Souls ſo that they may not be overweighed with grief on the one ſide, or ſtupidneſs on the other ſide. Again let our ſouls be awed by that glorious power and omnipotency of God, who is able to do any thing, and who will do whatſoever pleaſeth him both in Heaven and in Earth; at whoſe word and for whoſe Glory all things that are were made. And what are we poor creatures that we ſhould dare to entertain any hard thought of this God! 'Tis dangerous contending with God! Let us learn that great leſſon of reſigning up our ſelves and all we have to God; let us put our ſelves as inſtruments into the hands of the Lord to do what he pleaſeth with us, and let us remember that it was our promiſe and covenant with God to yield our ſelves up to him, and to be wholly at his diſpoſal. The Soul is then in a ſweet frame when it can cordially ſay, It is the Lord, let him do what ſeemeth good in his eyes. Not my will, but thine be done. Again, let us know that though we cannot alwaies ſee into the reaſonableneſs of the ways of God, (for his ways are often in the thick Cloud, and our weak Eyes cannot look into thoſe depths in which he walketh) yet all the ways of God are juſt, holy and good. Let us therefore have a care of ſo much as moving, much more of entertaining any unworthy thoughts againſt God. But let us ſubmit willingly to the yoak which he is pleaſed to lay upon us, leſt he break us with his terrible judgments. And now it hath ſeemed good to God to lay this ſtroak upon you, I pray labour rightly to improve it, and let this trial prepare you for greater. And ſeeing the uncertainty of all worldy things, indeavour with all your might to get your heart above them; and I beſeech the Lord, who is the great Phyſitian of Souls, and knows how to apply a Salve to every Sore of his, to comfort you with his ſpiritual comforts, that he would favourably ſhine upon you, and receive you into a nearer union and communion with himſelf. Into his hands I commit you, with him I leave you, praying that he would make up all in himſelf.
He was an excellent Example to his younger brethren; and his wiſe inſtructions, and holy practices, did not a little influence them. He was a prudent Counſellor, and an aſſiſtant that could not well be ſpared to his eldeſt Brother; who was not a little ſenſible of that perſonal worth that was in his younger Brother; whom he would prefer before himſelf, as one whom he judged, God had honoured with far greater parts, graces, and experiences, than himſelf. The younger alſo, did as humbly and heartily reſpect and honour him; as, a ſerious Chriſtian, a Miniſter, and his elder Brother, who had obliged him with more than ordinary kindneſs!
When he was but young, yet he began to be taken notice of by antient Miniſters, and Chriſtians; though his modeſty was ſo great, that his huge parts were not a little obſcured thereby; and his vaſt worth was ſo ballaſted with humility, that he made no great noiſe in the world, and moſt were ignorant of his ſingular worth. A wiſe man that was intimately acquainted with him, would ſay of him that he was like deep waters, that were moſt ſtill; a man of hidden excellency. There were few that knew, how cloſe he walked with God, and at what a high rate he lived, and how great a trade he drave for the riches of that other world: All which he laboured, as much as might be, to conceal.
CHAP. VII.
His return to Kings Colledge after his Fathers Death. His holy projects for Chriſt and Souls.
WHen his Father was dead, he returned again to Kings Colledge, and was a member of a ſecret Cabal, which began to carry on notable projects for Chriſt and ſouls, and to plot how they might beſt improve their gifts and graces ſo as that they might be moſt ſerviceable to God and their generation. Their cuſtom was frequently to meet together, to pray and to communicate ſtudies and experiences, and to handle ſome queſtion of Divinity, or, in ſome Scholaſtick way, to exerciſe the gifts which God had given them. Some of this company did degenerate, but others lived to let the world underſtand, that, what they did was from a vital principal: Amongſt whom, this young man was none of the leaſt: who had a deſign upon ſome of the juniors to ingage them if poſſible before they were inſnared by wicked company, when they came freſh from School. After ſome time, moſt of his dear companions were tranſplanted either into Gentlemens families or Livings; and this Mr. Janeway, being one of the youngeſt, was, for a while, left alone in the Colledge. But he wanting the comfortable diverſion of ſuitable godly ſociety, fixed ſo intenſely upon his ſtudies, that he ſoon gave ſuch a wound to his Bodily-conſtitution that it could never be throughly healed.
CHAP. VIII.
His departure from the Colledge, to live in Dr. Cox's Family.
AFter a while, Dr. Cox wanting a Tutor for his Son in his houſe ſent to the Provoſt of the Colledge, to make choi…e of a man of true worth for him: In anſwer to whoſe requeſt, the Provoſt was pleaſed to ſend Mr. Janeway, who did neither ſhame him that preferred him, nor diſappointed the expectations of him that entertained him: but, by his diligence, profound learning, and ſucceſs in his undertakeing, did not a little oblig… the relations of his Pupil. But his pains were ſo great, and his body ſo weak, that it could not long bear up under ſuch work; ſo that he was forced to ask leave of the Doctor, to try whether the change of the Air might not contribute ſomewhat to the mending the temper of his Body, which now began ſenſibly to decay.
Whileſt he was in that family, his carriage was ſo ſweet and obliging, and his converſation ſo ſpiritual; that it did not a little endear his preſence to them: ſo that I queſtion not but ſome of that Family will carry a ſweet remembrance of him along with them to their Graves, and I oft heard him owning the goodneſs of God to him, in the benefit that he got by the graces and experiences of ſome Chriſtians, in, and relating to that Family, whoſe tender love to him he did gratefully reſent upon his Death-bed.